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Last modified
7/14/2009 5:02:33 PM
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UCREFRP
UCREFRP Catalog Number
8174
Author
Martinez, P. J.
Title
West Slope Warmwater Fisheries.
USFW Year
1997.
USFW - Doc Type
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<br />Elkhead Reservoir, formerly recognized for its self-sustaining smallmouth bass Micropterus <br />dolomuei fishery, also contained remnant populations of black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, channel <br />catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and northern pike Esox luctus. The draining of the reservoir during the winter of <br />1992 resulted in the flushing of many smallmouth bass and the crushing under ice of much of the standing- <br />dead brush and shrubs that provided structure in the reservoir's bays. Thus, the current reservoir fishery is <br />comparatively non-existent, to the dismay of anglers, and the remaining habitat and structure is diminished. <br />Anglers hope that enlargement of the reservoir would inundate new woody vegetation and possibly contribute <br />to the restoration or improvement of the former fishery. In addition to this question, the impending <br />administration of the reservoir's recreation by Colorado State Parks (D. Scheiwe, Colorado State Parks, <br />personal communication) will renew the focus on restoring some sort of productive warmwater fishery. <br />A recently completed evaluation of fish screening and fish anti-escapement technology and the <br />feasibility of applying these techniques at Elkhead and Highline (near Loma, Colorado) reservoirs indicates <br />that costs to contain fish in the reservoir could be exorbitant depending on the life stages to be prevented <br />from leaving the reservoir (Miller and Laiho 1997). Miller and Laiho (1997) reviewed screening options <br />ranging from prevention of passage of fish eggs and larvae to the fine mesh screens currently representing <br />state-of-the-art in fish containment technology in large scale applications. The prevention of the escapement <br />of fish and larvae given the dimensions of an enlarged dam and spillway at Elkhead could cost as much a $33 <br />million. The cost of applying the current industry practice at the Elkhead Dam using 3/32 inch aperture mesh <br />would be approximately $900,000 (Miller and Laiho 1997). <br />This raised the question of how various warmwater fish species proposed for stocking or already <br />occurring in Elkhead Reservoir would fare in the enlarged reservoir scenario and how this might influence the <br />biopolitical process of requesting funding and installing a fish screen to minimize escapement. A habitat <br />based model entitled A Low Effort System for Planned Coolwater and Coldwater Reservoirs (McConnell et <br />al. 1984) was applied to Kenney Reservoir, Colorado prior to completion to forecast the performance of <br />various fish species in the newly constructed impoundment (McConnell et al. 1984). This model proved to be <br />highly predictive following assessment of the post-impoundment fish population in Kenney Reservoir <br />(Martinez 1986, Martinez et al. 1995). <br />The existing model had been developed for black crappie, common carp Cyprinus carpio, white <br />sucker Catostomus commersoni, yellow perch Perca flavescens and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus myktss <br />(McConnell et al. 1984). To project the potential performance of other coolwater and warmwater sport fishes <br />in an enlarged Elkhead Reservoir, more species had to be described within the framework of the habitat <br />suitability model. The species of more immediate interest included northern pike, channel catfish <br />(reproducing and stocked), smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. <br />Common questions posed by angler's at NEPA public meeting, Angler's Roundtable meetings <br />(hosted by Colorado Division of Wildlife), and in personal phone calls include "why is Colorado Division of <br />Wildlife involved in these activities to eradicate or reduce stocking of sport fish?" and "how can the agency's <br />employees devote time to these sport fish control projects when their salaries come from license revenues and <br />sporting equipment taxes?". Part of the response to these questions lies in the CROW s mission which states <br />that "all wildlife will be managed" and in other past and recently adopted policies and agreements. <br /> <br />4
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