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Bioenergetics Model Component <br />• Bioenergetics modeling predictions indicated that overwinter survival of age-0 Colorado <br />pikeminnow may be negatively affected if fish activity increases in response to physical or <br />natural changes in the environment. When activity rates were spontaneous or 0.5 bl/s, 35-, 45-, <br />and 60-mm TL fish survived to the end of the winter period. When activity was 1.0 bl/s fish did <br />not survive to the end of the winter period regardless of size. <br />• Simulations showed that fish mass and condition consistently decline when water temperatures <br />are below PC. <br />• Mass and condition of fish decline faster when activity is increased because energetic reserves <br />must be used to offset the cost of higher metabolic rate. <br />• Data describing fish growth and food consumption rates during winter are potentially useful for <br />additional confirmation of the accuracy of bioenergetics model predictions. Required data are <br />repeated measurements of mass (to nearest 0.01g) and total length (to nearest 1 mm) of individual <br />fish before and after the winter period. <br />RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Effects of stage fluctuations on overwinter survival could not be evaluated in this study, but the <br />bioenergetics modeling predictions indicates that overwinter survival of age-0 Colorado <br />pikeminnow may be negatively affected if fish activity increases in response to natural or <br />physical changes in the environment. For age-0 Colorado pikeminnow, winter conditions <br />produce a negative energy balance, where the costs of survival are greater than the energetic gains <br />realized by food consumption. If it can be shown that the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam <br />increases activity of age-0 Colorado pikeminnow in the Green River, then further evaluation <br />should be conducted to determine the likelihood that natural mortality rates are affected. <br />xx