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<br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />In the past 50 years the Lower Colorado River has been con- <br /> <br />tinually altered by programs of the Bureau of Reclamation. Dams were <br /> <br />constructed to create hydroelectric power and to provide water for irri- <br /> <br />gation. Various areas of the river were channelized to prevent flooding <br /> <br />and the destruction of lands. <br /> <br />Little consideration was given to fish and wildlife resources <br /> <br />until the last decade when a multipurpose management program was <br /> <br />, <br />established for the river. As part of this program, the Bureau of Recla- <br /> <br />mation has dredged certain backwater areas for the purpose of enhanc- <br /> <br />ing fish and wildlife and providing recreational fisheries. <br /> <br />This investigation was undertaken to obtain information con- <br /> <br />cerning the general ecology of the sport fishes in two recently dredged <br /> <br />backwaters and to evaluate the fishery potential of these areas. The <br /> <br />study was designed to answer the following questions: <br /> <br />1. Do the backwaters provide suitable areas for spawning and <br /> <br />protective cover for the fish? <br /> <br />2. What are the primary and secondary forage organisms and is <br /> <br />the food supply adequate? <br /> <br />3. Do the fish grow well? <br /> <br />4. Are the fish primarily residents of the backwaters or are they <br /> <br />transients? <br /> <br />5. What effect, if any, do water fluctuations have on the fisheries? <br /> <br />1 <br />