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with local fishing opportunities. When asked which type of warmwater <br />fishing opportunity they would like to see. the greatest percentage (44 <br />percent) stated they would like more large reservoirs. <br />2. Utah: Anglers in Utah fished 2.7 million days in 1991 (U.S. <br />Department of the Interior 1993) and increased to 5.6 million days in <br />1996. Of this, approximately 30 percent of the days were spent <br />warmwater fishing. Currently, Utah's only plan for stocking warmwater <br />species in the Upper Basin is possibly smallmouth bass in Strawberry <br />Reservoir in the Duchesne River drainage. <br />3. Wyoming: In 1994, Wyoming issued 115.148 resident fishing licenses. <br />Anglers currently fish an estimated 4.2 days annually. Comparisons <br />between in 1988 and 1994 indicated that.anglers places less importance <br />on catching fish and more on the aesthetic features of this activity <br />(Wenzel and Hubert 1995). The desire to have more warmwater fishing <br />also declined from 1988 to 1994. However, recent fishing pressure <br />surveys indicate a continued increase in reservoir and warmwater demand. <br />Most anglers preferred fishing for trout (especially wild trout). <br />C. Recovery of Endangered Fishes <br />In a survey conducted by Colorado State University (1995), 75 percent of <br />the respondents and 72 percent of the anglers felt that stocking of <br />nonnative fish should only be done if it does not harm endangered <br />fishes. Only 34 percent of the respondents supported the practice of <br />stocking nonnative fishes in the upper Colorado River Basin. although 54 <br />percent supported stocking mosquitofish and grass carp for insect and <br />vegetation control, respectively. Warmwater anglers in Delta, Garfield. <br />Mesa, and Montrose counties, Colorado opposed (55 percent) recovery <br />efforts for the endangered fish that included removing warmwater sport <br />fish from ponds next to the river: 32 percent of the warmwater anglers <br />supported this proposed practice (Colorado Division of Wildlife 1996). <br />D. Economy <br />1. Water Development: The Recovery Program for the endangered fishes in <br />the Upper Basin was established as a way to recover the fish while <br />allowing water development to proceed. By implementing recovery actions <br />such as floodplain restoration, broodstock development, and controlling <br />nonnative fishes, the recovery program serves as a reasonable and <br />prudent alternative for Section 7 compliance with the Endangered Species <br />Act. This simplifies the regulatory requirements for water development <br />projects both large and small. Without the Recovery Program continuing <br />to make sufficient progress towards recovery, billions of dollars of <br />water development and subsequent economic growth could be impacted. The <br />ability of the Recovery Program to serve as a reasonable and prudent <br />alternative for water development was reduced in 1996. One reason for <br />this was the lack of action to address nonnative fish problems and <br />implement solutions. Stocking procedures that contribute significantly <br />towards the recovery of the fish will, in part, allow the Recovery <br />Program to serve as a reasonable and prudent alternative for water <br />24