9483

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9483
• Author: Mitchell, M. J.
• Title: Impact of the Procedures for Stocking Nonnative Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin on Private Landowners and the Commercial Aquaculture Industry.
• USFW Year: no dat
• USFW - Doc Type: Longmont.
• Copyright Material: NO

282 participants identified along the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers within the study area.
Response rates realized were 24% for the Gunnison River corridor and 39% for the Colorado
River corridor. The 86 respondents along the Colorado River provided information on 94 ponds.
The 13 respondents along the Gunnison River provided information on 6 ponds. Sixty percent of
respondents on the Gunnison River and forty six percent of respondents on the Colorado River
stated that located ponds were not present or that they did not want to reveal any information on
their ponds. The surface area of individual identified ponds that were refuted ranged from O. 1-13
acres. A number of these ponds were 3-5 acres.

Information was developed on inlet and outlet confirmation, communication of ponds with the
adjacent river, and frequency offlooding of individual ponds. Results indicate that 24.5% of the
ponds use the river as a direct water source, all others utilize some combination of springs,
irrigation return flows, and groundwater. Forty percent of Colorado River respondents indicated
their ponds had a surface release while 90% of Gunnison River ponds were stated to have a
surface release. Two percent and ten percent of ponds along the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers,
respectively,. indicate bottom releases are present. The balance of respondents did not provide
information. Forty percent of pondowners in both corridors responding stated their ponds
communicated with the river at least lout of 10 years. Those indicating river communication
stated that 50% of the ponds (20% of total ponds in study) communicated each year. Range of
months within each year that ponds communicate was from 2-12 months. Respondents also
indicated that 7.5% of ponds do not communicate with the river in a ten year period. Pond
flooding was indicated to have occurred to 7.5% of ponds along the Colorado in 1983 and 1995.
It is worthy of note that the same ponds did not indicate flooding during these two high water
years. Flooding was identified to occur to 20% of the ponds along the Gunnison in 1984.

The uses of ponds within each corridor was investigated by this effort. Pondowners responses
have been illustrated in Figure I.
It is important to realize that most
ponds have more than one use and
was so indicated by respondents.
Wildlife use was identified as the
greatest use for ponds along the
Colorado River (55%) while other
uses were important for ponds along
the Gunnison River (43%). Fishing
and recreation were important use
for ponds along both river corridors
(10%-Gunnison; 43%-Colorado).
The primary use listed under the
other category was production of
potable water.

Fig. 1:lndicated Pond Use

Colorado and Gunnison Rivers

60
50
C 40
~po
~20
10
o

wid fsh

aes rec irr
use category

wstw otr

EJ
II

II
.

Colorado

Gunnison

12