Laserfiche WebLink
6. Flows recommended for the Jensen nursery area do not <br />affect the stability of nursery areas in the lower Green <br />River. <br />7. Fluctuations in releases from Flaming Gorge Dam do not <br />affect the quality and quantity of backwater habitats in <br />both the upper and lower Green River nursery areas. <br />8. Maximum availability of backwater habitat is not <br />necessary for annual recruitment of young-of-the-year of <br />native fishes. <br />9. Recommended summer flows do not affect status of non- <br />native fishes. <br />10. Increased adult fish movement during the winter does not <br />affect spawning success. <br />11. Winter fluctuations/flows do not affect overwinter <br />survival of young-of-the-year of native fishes in the <br />Jensen-Ouray and lower Green River areas. <br />12. Recommended winter flows do not affect status of non- <br />native fishes. <br />The overall approach devised by the research team to test the <br />hypotheses listed above consisted of an integrated research plan <br />with three basic components. The initial component developed was <br />long term systematic sampling/research studies. The second <br />component of the research plan was development of explicit shorter <br />term studies designed to test specific hypotheses or questions <br />relating to seasonal operation of Flaming Gorge Dam. A third <br />component was added in 1992 to cover habitat management studies. <br />The long term monitoring/research effort is embodied in the <br />Systematic Data Collection and Research program (SDCR). The <br />purpose of this program is to provide a consistent index of <br />relative fish abundance and population structure over the five year <br />study period against which impacts of different water years and <br />seasonal flows on fish populations could be assessed. <br />Hypothesis Testing studies was the second component of the research <br />plan. Specific questions concerning mechanisms by which flows <br />affected fish populations or how seasonal flows recommendations, <br />particularly winter and spring, would affect selected aspects of <br />fisheries would be answered by designing studies to answer specific <br />test hypotheses. Specific project or study methods would be <br />developed by the team to test various hypotheses. <br />The Habitat Management component was added in 1992 for the purpose <br />of testing and refining specific management concepts and projects, <br />particularly as they relate to flow management. <br />A2