7752

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7752
• Author: Stanford, J. A.
• Title: Instream Flows to Assist the Recovery of Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin
• USFW Year: 1993.
• USFW - Doc Type: Review and Synthesis of Ecological Information, Issues, Methods and Rationale.
• Copyright Material: NO

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IV. Derivation of Flows Currently Recommended to Protect the Endangered Fishes: Review

and Synthesis......... ...... ................ .............. ............ ..................................... ..... .... ................ .45
Review of Instreanl Flow Methodology ............................................................................45

Flow Threshold Models....... ..... ........... ............... ... ...... ... ................. ....... ............. .45

Statistical Approaches .......... ...... ........ .... ............................ .... .......... .......... ...... .....46

Incremental Flow Modeling. ................ ................ .... .............. .... .............. ........ .... .48

Are There Other Options?... '" ....... .......... .................... '" ..... ..... ....... .......... .......... .50
Flow Regimes Recommended to Protect and Enhance Endangered Fishes in the..

Upper Colorado River Basin......... ....... ..... ..... ............ .......... ... ..... .............. ........ .............. .52

Y anlpa River......................................................................................................... .53

Green River...........................................................................................................5 3

Colorado River above Confluence with the Green River .......................................54
Table 1. Recommendations for spring flows in the IS-mile reach...............55
Problems with the Flow Recommendations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...........55

Yanlpa River......................................................................................................... .55

Green River......................... ............................................................................... ...56
Figure 17. Daily flows on the Green River at Flaming Gorge Danl and
at Jensen in relation to unregulated flows from the Yanlpa River during

spring, 1992. .......... .... .......... ........ ...................................... ...... .................. ..57

Colorado River.......... ............ ....... ... ....... ......... ..... ..... ............ ....... ..... ............ ........59

Differing Methodologies and the Role of "Professional Judgment" .....................62

V. Critical Uncertainties in the Recovery Program with Respect to Provision of River Flows
to Protect Endangered Fishes................... ......................................... ..................... .............. ...63
Critical Uncertainties at the Program (Management) Level of Organization......................63
Critical Uncertainties at the Information (Scientific) Level of Organization ......................64

VI. Recommendations: An Ecosystem Approach..... ....... ..................................... ........... ........... .66
Implement Interim Flows that Re-establish Seasonality ....................................................67
Provide Common Understanding of Water Availability ....................................................69
Improve the Standardized Monitoring Progranl: Add a Community Ecology

Perspective............ ..................... ....................................................................................... 70

Diversify the Research Progranl to Resolve Critical Uncertainties....................................73
Implement a Peer Review Process......... .......... ............... ......................... ....... ......... ..........76
Implemen t Adaptive Management..................................................................................... 77

Literature Cited..................... '" .... .......... .......... ............ ............................ .................. .......... .... .....79

Appendix I
Additional Literature Not Cited in the Report....................................................................Al

Appendix 2
Persons Con tacted During this Study........ .... ................. .............. ............................... .....Al