8020

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8020
• Author: Horak, G. C.
• Title: Proceedings of the Symposium on Mitigating Developmental Impacts on Fish and Wildlife.
• USFW Year: 1979.
• USFW - Doc Type: March 1979.
• Copyright Material: NO

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INTERIM REPORT ON THE EVALUATION OF PLANNING FOR FISH

AND WILDLIFE AT CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESERVOIRS

by

Norville S. Prosser and Robert G. Martin
Sport Fishing Institute
Washington, D.C. 20005

ABSTRACT

Scientific assessment of the impacts of water development projects on

fish and wildlife will be fundamental to the successful prosecution of mit-

igation requirements through the institutional and political process. Re-

cent investigations of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water resource develop-

ments conducted under contract by the Sport Fishing Institute found that on-

ly 14 (11.7 percent) of the 120 largest, most-recently built water develop-

ment projects had been quantitatively evaluated to determine even the local

post-impoundment impacts on both fish and wildlife communities. The accur-

acy of pre-construction tmpact predictions, at those projects where evalua-

tion was possible, has been highly variable. Consistent errors have been

discovered regarding the expected adversities imposed upon deer populations

by the projects studied to date. Migratory waterfowl use has exceeded pre-

dicted use level at a majority of those projects for which post-construction

data are available. Fisheries predictions have proved somewhat erratic, al-

though tending to substantially overestimate subsequent angling use in most

instances. The findings illustrate the need for accelerated post-construc-

tion investigations to guide mitigation planning at water resource develop-

ment projects.

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