WSPC183 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

002478 Biology Committee Conference Call Tuesday, October 23 10:00 am to 12 noon Attendees: Gerry Roehm, Pat Nelson, George Smith, Tom Czapla, Paul Dey, Tim Modde, Tom Chart, John Carron, John Hawkins, Bill Davis, Chuck McAda, Ron Brunson, Mark Wieringa, Mike Hudson, Amy Cutler, David Truman, Tom Pitts, Brent Uilenberg, 1. Review of scopes of work to evaluate escapement from Elkhead and Starvation reservOIrs. Starvation Scope of Work: Dam operators do not want anything placed in the chutes; spillway is probably not a very safe place for sampling; Dam Operation Policy - nothing in the chutes or the spillway that would impact flow. The stilling basin below the spillway is too deep (60 feet) to effectively sample. Using the stilling basin would require lines to pull nets up, which would be difficult. If there is no feasible way to sample in chutes or off dam, could a blocking net be placed in the stream below the stilling basin to prevent migration into or out of the stilling basin during runoff? If so, the stilling basin could be drained before runoff and again after runoff to determine how many fish had escaped from the reservoir. >Tom Chart to contact operators for any flexibility in chute policy to allow for sampling. >Ron Brunson to contact Gordon Mueller for how they sampled off Aspinall Unit dams. John Hawkins had concerns about the evaluation, specifically what is the level of escapement considered to be a problem and what is the minimum size of fish we should be sampling. The latter will dictate the type and mesh size of sampling gear to be used. John wants to make sure that sampling and subsequent data analysis adequately addresses our needs. We should identify those life stages (i.e., sizes) to be captured and select gear and develop sampling protocols accordingly. It isn't necessary to sample for eggs and larvae, but juveniles should be collected. Encourage Ron to sample with a variety of gear to capture as many sizes as possible. >Ron will modify the scope of work based on information from dam operators and Mueller modifying methodologies as necessary to achieve, as closely as possible, the original objectives of the study, Information should be received within the week and will be posted to the listserver. Elkhead Scope of Work: Mark Wieringa wanted to know what happens to fish that are collected; Gerry responded that they will probably go back into the reservoir, but they definitely would not be released into the river. However, scope of work must be specific in this regard; fish captured below the dam should be marked and released back into the reservoir. Chart questioned if channel catfish were to be included in translocations from the river to the reservoir. With regard to the variance to the NNSP requested by CDOW, the Service agreed only to translocating smallmouth bass from the Yampa River into Elkhead Reservoir but had significant reservations about translocating northern pike or channel