9528

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9528
• Author: Martinez, P. and N. P. Nibbelink.
• Title: Colorado Nonnative Fish Stocking Regulation Evaluation.
• USFW Year: 2004.
• USFW - Doc Type: Grand Junction, Laramie.
• Copyright Material: NO

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' Research and adaptive management are necessary components of this plan as
is provision for future management activities to ensure success of the restored
' fishes within their respective habitats.

' In general, the strategies for razorback sucker and bonytail will be accomplished
through stocking sub-adult fish from production facilities or collected from wild
populations. As adult populations are established in suitable mainstem and off-

' channel habitats, research and monitoring will be implemented for development
of management strategies to promote self-persistence of the populations.
Concurrently, isolated habitats may also provide fish for repatriation to the river
or reservoirs. Fish from the mainstem may also be moved to the isolated habitats
as needed for genetic and management purposes. Similar strategies are
presented for reestablishing the Colorado pikeminnow in the lower basin. These
strategies will not be implemented until specific Recovery Goals are established
' for Colorado pikeminnow for the lower basin. The AMWG is currently developing
a Comprehensive Action and Management Plan for humpback chub in Grand
Canyon. Once completed, that plan will be reviewed in the context of the LCRMP
' to determine if additional actions are necessary to meet the Recovery Goals.
' Due to uncertainties about funding and implementation, no initial timeline is
given to complete these actions for any species; however, the timelines given in
the Recovery Goals will be incorporated in any future management actions.
' Future versions of this document will be based on results of implementation of
the included strategies.
' The lower basin contains a variety of habitats that will be used to establish self-
sustaining populations and genetic refugia. These include free flowing and
managed rivers, reservoirs, connected and isolated backwaters, and ponds on
' private lands such as golf courses. The project area is divided into subunits
based on physical attributes and each subunit has its own specific management
strategies. The initial development of persistent adult populations will require
stocking large numbers of fish. Smaller numbers would be difficult to detect in
these large subunits and would therefore be outside our ability to monitor,
meaning that survivorship, habitat use, and other key data parameters would go
' unobserved. Stocking programs will be conducted in as many subunits as
feasible to maximize opportunities for detecting adult fish persistence. This may
also aid in identification of habitats and river reaches where potentially beneficial
' management actions can be implemented. Once the best habitats are identified,

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