WSPP336

• File Number: 8240.200.10.H
• Description: Colorado River Threatened-Endangered - UCRBRIP - Program Organization-Mission - Stocking
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/4/1998
• Author: DOI-FWS
• Title: Management-Control of Non-Native Fish Species in Floodplain Ponds Along the Upper Colorado and Gunnison Rivers - Final Environmental Assessment-Finding of No Significant Impact - 02-04-98
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

U00581

Valley. Native American Indians no doubt inhabited or used floodplains
along the Upper Colorado and Gunnison rivers.

Some areas where floodplain ponds occur of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers
have been drastically altered through gravel mining operations so that any
artifacts that may have been present are more than likely either buried or
were removed with the gravel.

F. Socio-Economic Factors. Gravel mining is the major commercial economic
factor in floodplain areas where ponds occur. Mining constituted about 1%
of the jobs by industry in Mesa County in 1996 and was one of the highest
paying occupations in the area with an average annual wage of about $36
thousand (Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce 1997).

Presently, some recreational fishing and hunting occurs in floodplain ponds
along the Colorado and Gunnison rivers. Most of the recreational fishing
in these ponds is for nonnat i ve warmwater fi sh speci es. However, some ponds
(e.g., Corn Lake) are presently stocked with large numbers of rainbow trout
that test positive for whirling disease and are sought by many anglers. The
1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
- Colorado documented that 96.4% of 778,300 Colorado anglers fished for
salmonids and devoted 80.7% of nearly 6.3 million angler-days to
recreational fishing for salmonids (U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
1993b). Few Colorado anglers in the Upper Colorado River actively
participate in warmwater fishing although opportunities are available to
them. Surveys in 1991 estimated that 10,000 to 13,000 anglers fished
approximately 66,000 days for warmwater fish species in the Northwest Region
of Colorado (Elmblad et ale 1994). The 13,000 anglers comprise 1.7% of the
total anglers and 66,000 angler-days comprise 1.1% of the total angler-days
of recreation in 1991.

A survey of warmwater anglers in Delta, Garfield, Mesa, and Montrose
counties concluded that anglers fished most often for catfish (36 percent)
and largemouth bass (25 percent; Colorado Division of Wildlife 1996). In
ponds that would be reclaimed through Recovery Program efforts, 75 percent
supported restocking with largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie, 52
percent supported restocking with only trout. Sixty-three percent of the
anglers reported that they were satisfied with local fishing opportunities.
When asked which type of warmwater fishing opportunity they would like to
see, the greatest percentage (44 percent) stated they would like more large
reservoirs.

Only nine percent of warmwater anglers surveyed in western Colorado reported
that they fished in private ponds (Colorado Division of Wildlife 1996).
Only one owner with a pond along the Gunnison River reported that his pond
was used for fishing, primarily for rainbow trout. The Colorado Division
of Wildlife reported that warmwater fishing occurred on 105 surface acres
of ponds along the Colorado River.

Other recreational pursuits involving wildlife-related activities along the
gravel-pit ponds of the Colorado ~nd Gunnison rivers include observing and

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