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r floodplain ponds within Critical Habitat and there remains concern that this stocking may result in increased escapement of these sport fish from ponds despite methods implemented to contain these fish in their pond habitats (Martinez 1996). Furthermore, the Procedures require that escapement of stocked warmwater fishes from ponds be identified, reviewed, and rectified before further stocking can occur (Appendix A, p.5). METHODS Dr. Kevin Bestgen, Larval Fish Laboratory, Colorado State University (CSU), prepared a draft study proposal to perform the ISMP evaluation called for in the Procedures. This draft proposal, entitled Evaluation of the Interaggn_!?y Standardized Monitoring Program Sampling Technique in Backwaters of the Colorado River in the Grand Valley, Colorado (22 April 1997) was sent to nine Recovery Program participants and biologists for peer-review (Appendix B) as required by the Procedures. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Three reviews were returned by the deadline of May 12, 1997 (Appendix 2) fi lfilling the peer-review requirement described in the Procedures. Those individuals returning reviews were Henry Maddux and Tom Czapla of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Tom Nesler of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. My input during the draft phase of the proposal was the need for the investigation to address Segment Objective 2 listed above, which is included in the finalized proposal (Appendix C, p. 12). The finalized proposal (Appendix C) incorporated reviewer comments and the Larval Fish Laboratory at Colorado State University has been contracted by CDOW to perform the investigation using Recovery Program funds. Job No. 2: Fish Anti-Escapement Strategies/Devices for Ponds/Reservoirs Job Objective: To evaluate suitability, reliability and effectiveness of various fish anti-escapement devices installed on outlets of ponds and reservoirs and their capacity to reduce nonnative fish abundance and biomass in inlets, outlets and connecting channels. Segment Objective 1: Review techniques/structures/devices proposed for minimizing or preventing fish escapement at specific sites. INTRODUCTION The key to the application of the Procedures is the isolation of waters stocked with and/or containing nonnative warmwater fishes (Table 2). Because of this, several western Colorado warmwater fisheries cannot be stocked until they are brought into compliance with the fish anti-escapement provisions of the Procedures (Appendix A). This lack of stocking or continued management of traditional warmwater fishery resources in several public floodplain ponds along the Colorado River in the Grand Valley and in Elkhead Reservoir in the Yampa River basin has created great concern among individual anglers and angler organizations (United Sportsmen's Council, Sportsmen's Wildlife Fund, Yampa Valley Bassmasters). The requirement for screening at Elkhead Reservoir poses a particular problem because of the proposed enlargement of the dam and reservoir to provide storage for late season flows in the Yampa river to off set flow reductions due to irrigation and other diversions of flow (Hydrosphere 1993, 1995). Local anglers are aware of a Lake Management Plan prepared by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (Elmblad et al. 1994) that has not been submitted for review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Due to the demonstrated escapement of fish from the existing dam, the provisions of the Procedures would not be met and approval to stock warmwater sport fish species would not be approved.