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<br />· The report entitled Evaluation of Effects of Stage Fluctuations Induced by <br />Hydropower Operations on Overwinter Survival of Young Colorado <br />Pikeminnow was revised pursuant to peer and Biology Committee comments <br />and submitted for Biology Committee approval. The Biology Committee is <br />expected to approve the revised report in March 2004. <br /> <br />· The Recovery Program contracted Argonne National Laboratory to develop a <br />strategic plan to prioritize and direct future habitat research and monitoring <br />activities to direct future research toward meeting the recovery goals of the <br />fishes. The final report was completed in September 2003, and program <br />guidance was developed to address research priorities in FY04 and beyond. <br /> <br />· From the Recovery Program's inception in 1988 through December 31,2003, <br />the Service has consulted on 756 projects with a potential to deplete a total of <br />1,725,000 afin the Upper Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />II. Habitat Restoration <br /> <br />Goal: To provide or enhance habitat for the rare fishes through habitat development or <br />management measures such as: <br />· fish passageways <br />· screens to prevent fish entrainment into diversion canals <br />· restoration of floodplain and instream habitats. <br /> <br />Status: <br /> <br />· The fish ladder at the Redlands Diversion Dam on the Gunnison River has <br />been operational since June 1996. To date, the ladder has been used by 53,000 <br />native fishes (versus 7,600 nonnative fishes), including 60 Colorado <br />pikeminnow, six previously-stocked razorback suckers, and one previously- <br />stocked bonytail. Six of the Colorado pikeminnow have used the ladder twice; <br />one has used it three times. Native fishes that were marked and released above <br />the dam dispersed upstream, some as far as 57 river miles to the base of the <br />Hartland Diversion Dam. Installation of a fish screen at Redlands will be <br />completed in FY05 to prevent entrainment of endangered fishes into the <br />diversion canal. Section 7 consultation is underway to provide incidental take <br />coverage for Redlands operations. <br /> <br />· A fish passage structure was constructed at the Grand Valley Irrigation <br />Company Diversion Dam on the Colorado River in January 1998. A fish <br />screen on the canal was completed in March 2002 and operated through early <br />June when drought-year flows became too low to effectively operate the <br />screen. Due to operational problems, the screen was not operated during the <br />2003 irrigation season. Native fish were retrieved from the canal by the <br />Service in November 2003. Improvements to the fish screen are being made <br />and should be completed by March 2004 in time to allow operation throughout <br />the 2004 irrigation season. <br />. <br /> <br />5 <br />