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1 <br />r <br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1. Water resource development of the lower Colorado River is essentially <br />complete. However, there are available habitats that can be used to <br />manage these fishes and opportunities exist for the development of <br />additional habitats. <br />2. Lower basin populations of bonytail, humpback chub, and razorback <br />sucker are the largest remaining within the range of these species and <br />therefore can provide an essential resource for future management <br />actions. Beyond providing genetic refugia as a hedge against extinction, <br />existing and augmented lower basin populations will be a valuable <br />resource for use in rangewide recovery activities. <br />' 3. Ongoing stocking programs exist to increase the number of bonytail <br />and razorback sucker in Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu, and Parker-Imperial <br /> subunits. <br />' 4. The long-lived nature of these species allows for time to implement <br /> management actions and assess their affects under an adaptive <br />' management program. <br /> 5. Many of the ideas presented herein have been throughly researched <br />' and documented in the literature (Deacon and Minckley 1974, Minckley <br /> 1973, 1985, 1991; Minckley and Deacon 1991; Minckley et al. 2003). <br />' MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OVERVIEW <br />The strategies presented in this document are designed to meet two key <br />' recovery actions for the "big-river" fishes: the maintenance of adult genetic <br />refugia in lower basin Colorado River mainstem reservoirs and the establishment <br />of self-sustaining populations that exceed Minimum Viable Population (MVP) <br />' levels identified in the Recovery Goals. The suggested actions, though directed <br />at successful management of the "big-river" fish through management of current <br />ecosystem components, are also intended to be flexible and adaptable to <br />' conditions dictated by the species, available habitat, and obligations for flood <br />control, water storage and delivery, and other human consumptive needs. <br /> <br />I <br />In developing this plan, the team realized that several factors inherent to the <br />lower basin would be important in developing appropriate "big-river" fish <br />management strategies. <br />6 <br />