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,....'.,:.. .~~ . -I.' ,j' f demand by the angling public to provide warm water fishing in these waters? What is driving this proposal, have there been pUblic surveys conducted to indicate the need for the proposed action or is it the desire of CDOW fish management to stock these species? We suggest that to be most successful, management actions should be placed in the context of a demonstrated public need or concern. We would appreciate receiving any or all data or other information regarding public support or requests for such a stocking proposal. Our specific comments on the proposed stocking proposals follow. Ib ELKHEAD RESERVOIR NWF is opposed to stocking of large-mouth bass in Elkhead Reservoir primarily because of the high probability of escape and the possible transmission of large-mouth bass down the Yampa to the Green River. The DOW recognizes the high possibility for escape and the impossibility of screening the spillway. With no methods of dealing with escape it is imperative that large-mouth not be stocked here. It is likely escaped large-mouth bass will survive in the Yampa and Green Rivers and become significant predators on the endangered fish. HIGHLINE RESERVOIR NWF opposes the proposed stocking of Highline Reservoir because of the very high possibility for escape. Again, there are no options regarding screening of the spillway and it is possible for escaped fish to survive the transit 7 miles downstream to the mainstem. We urge DOW to evaluate this reservoir for stocking with other sportfish rather than the fish proposed. CONNECTED LAKES - SMALL NWF believes this pond is well within the 50-year floodplain and because this pond lies within the main channel of the Colorado River, we suggest it not be used to stock non-natives. This site is significant to the recovery of the endangered fish not as an area to avoid stocking non-natives, but as an area to enhance for use by the endangered fish. This area could be used as a research/rehabilitation pond or reconnected to the river as habitat for the endangered fish. It is inappropriate to utilize this pond for any non-native warm water species. NWF opposes any attempts to develop this pond into a warm w~ter fishery with non- natives. HARVEY GAP RESERVOIR NWF is not opposed to the stocking proposal for Harvey Gap as long as the proposal only includes rainbbw trout and channel catfish. We remain concerned about stocking of tiger muskies in Harvey Gap and our support of this proposal. in no way implies support for any future proposals to stock ti~r muskies. We are concerned here about the unauthorized and irre9a~' transmission of tiger muskies to areas downstream of Harvey Gap. It appears there is no surface outlet from Harvey Gap directly to the Colorado River and therefore, we believe the possibility of -2-