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<br />c. Needed Actions
<br />
<br />1. AFS encourages state and prov-
<br />incial governments to legally identify
<br />stream resources, water needs, and to
<br />give formal recognition of instream
<br />fishery needs as a beneficial use in their
<br />water resources programs.
<br />Different legal doctrines-riparian
<br />and appropriation-govern allocation
<br />of water and water rights in North
<br />America. Riparian rights insure land-
<br />owners whose properties are bounded
<br />or traversed by streams, the right to
<br />certain uses of water, usually including
<br />fishing and recreation. However, the
<br />appropriation doctrine gives exclusive
<br />right to the senior water user in a
<br />stream, permitting (and in some in-
<br />stances demanding) complete diver-
<br />sion of water to obtain a water right.
<br />Under both the riparian and appro-
<br />priation doctrines, fisheries resources
<br />are often not included as beneficial use.
<br />In many locations, it may be difficult
<br />to obtain recognition of the needs of
<br />instream fishery resources without fur-
<br />ther legislative action.
<br />AFS therefore encourages its mem-
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<br />bership at all levels to become involved
<br />in the process of obtaining legal pro-
<br />tection of instream flows, and to pro-
<br />vide decision makers with compelling
<br />reasons why stream fish habitats
<br />should receive more consideration. It
<br />is up to AFS members and other in-
<br />terested groups to convince legislators
<br />that legal recognition is necessary for
<br />instream fisheries habitats.
<br />2. AFS members should promote the
<br />identification of fishery opportunities
<br />at new and existing water storage proj-
<br />ects, and promote an equal consider-
<br />ation of fishery resources.
<br />Opportunities for use of a portion of
<br />the unallocated stored water in existing
<br />projects for enhanced instream fishery
<br />flows should be vigorously pursued.
<br />New water projects should be planned
<br />and operated with instream flow needs
<br />for fisheries as one of the project pur-
<br />poses. Past conflicts over water devel-
<br />opment can be reduced if the fishery
<br />profession demands and is included as
<br />a full partner in project planning and
<br />operation.
<br />3. AFS will promote development of
<br />better habitat evaluation procedures,
<br />and support research efforts to obtain
<br />more comprehensive information
<br />about stream habitat requirements of
<br />fishes.
<br />Professional fishery workers must
<br />continue to provide technically sound
<br />and feasible options and alternatives
<br />for protection and management of the
<br />resource. To date, verification or vali-
<br />dation of stream flow recommenda-
<br />tions has been inadequate. Without
<br />follow-up evaluation of stream flow
<br />recommendations, fisheries manage-
<br />ment with respect to instream flows is
<br />only a guessing game. AFS members
<br />must become involved with determi-
<br />nation of instream flows that work to
<br />meet an intended purpose, Le., result
<br />in sustaining or increasing the stream
<br />resources.
<br />The concept of "minimum flows,"
<br />and other low flow standards based on
<br />statistical records instead of biology
<br />(whereby it is assumed that needs of
<br />stream fishes can be met as long as
<br />some water remains) are seriously out-
<br />dated. Seasonal life history needs of
<br />stream fishes must be understood if
<br />we are to provide sufficient water at
<br />the correct location and at the proper
<br />time to provide for reproduction, re-
<br />cruitment, growth, and other life
<br />needs. Long-term monitoring of fish
<br />
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<br />populations may be the only viable
<br />approach to understanding stochastic
<br />and density-clependent factors that in-
<br />fluence carrying capacity in dynamic
<br />stream environments. Ways of empir-
<br />ically < relating instream flows to fish
<br />populations must be developed.
<br />4. AFS will promote the formation
<br />of national and international programs
<br />to evaluate stream ecosystems, with
<br />emphasis on conservation of fisheries
<br />resources.
<br />Stream ecosystems, particularly riv-
<br />erine and warmwater systems, are
<br />complex in biologicall physicall chemi-
<br />calinteractions, and may traverse many
<br />political boundaries. Such systems are
<br />difficult to study. Financial support is
<br />generally available only for studies of
<br />economically important reaches, or for
<br />politically important species in re-
<br />stricted areas. Information received
<br />from such studies is usually site spe-
<br />cific, and extremely limited in scope.
<br />More emphasis is needed to evaluate
<br />present baseline conditions, and to de-
<br />termine future effects of stream alter-
<br />ation. Research and management for
<br />conservation of stream resources must
<br />occur at the regional river basin level.
<br />
<br />5. AFS will encourage governments
<br />to adopt a "no net loss" policy for
<br />conserving remaining stream ecosys-
<br />tems in North America.
<br />It is time to recognize the importance
<br />of stream and riverine ecosystems as
<br />national assets, bringing these systems
<br />in perspective as links between wet-
<br />lands, estuaries, and other environ-
<br />ments. Replacement of stream
<br />channels with aqueducts, ditches, and
<br />pipes, should be discouraged. The con-
<br />cept of "no net loss" or "net gain"
<br />has merit, but further discussions are
<br />needed to reach a workable definition.
<br />One approach would be to place the
<br />burden of proof on those. proposing
<br />development to show that alterations
<br />would not be detrimental in the ex-
<br />treme, and to provide for follow-up
<br />evaluations and means for mitigation.
<br />Better understanding of functional re-
<br />lationships between stream habitats
<br />and fish life histories would provide
<br />for further refinement of management
<br />alternatives. ~
<br />
<br />Acknowledgments
<br />
<br />o. E. Maughan, C. B. Stalnaker, and
<br />members of the InstrQm Habitats Sub-
<br />committee improved an earlier draft of
<br />the manuscript.
<br />
<br />
<br />Fisheries, Vol. 15, No.3
<br />
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