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MEASUREMENT OF TAILWATER FISHERY HARVEST, PRESSURE, AND SUCCESS <br />JOB F- IV <br />Background <br />Creel surveys have been conducted on the Green River every year <br />since closure of Flaming Gorge Dam. These surveys have been instru- <br />mental in following trends in harvest and catch rate, collecting age <br />and growth data, and monitoring changes in species composition. Data <br />from earlier surveys have been presented in previous progress reports. <br />This job is gaining added importance since it will serve as the <br />primary means of assessing changes in the fishery brought about by <br />warmer temperatures from the modified penstock intakes. Since the <br />penstock modification project was started specifically to improve the <br />tailwater fishery, the creel survey will be the primary means of eval- <br />uating its effects. <br />Methods <br />A stratified random creel survey was conducted on the Flaming Gorge <br />tailwaters from the dam to the Colorado border throughout the 1977 fish- <br />ing season (May 14 through Nov. 30). The survey was stratified by month, <br />area, weekend-weekday, and raft-shore fishermen. During the summer <br />months of June, July, and August, morning and afternoon strata were also <br />used so that the entire day was covered. During those months twice as <br />many days were surveyed as the remaining months where the survey lasted <br />all day. October and November were combined and treated as a single <br />month. Angler survey dates were randomly scheduled, with a total of <br />8 half-day surveys or 4 full-day surveys per month at each of the three <br />access areas.