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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I the efficacy of the predictive aspects of the planning reports for selec- ted Corps reservoirs and to develop specific information upon which to im- prove the reliability of these predictions. The Institute's firs~ step was to identify the necessary number of opera- ting Corps projects with adequate fish and wildlife predictions and post- impoundment survey data upon which to base an evaluation of adequacy and accuracy. The Corps was operating 410 projects at the time of the screen- ing process. The initial screening eliminated older projects and projects resulting in only minor habitat alteration. After collecting all pre-con- struction planning information for the remaining 120 projects, it became evident that these data were sufficiently adequate to permit post-~pound- ment comparative studies for only 78 projects. The elimination of 42 pro- jects or 35 percent of those examined due to the cursory nature of the planning documents VBS in itself a significant reflection of the inade- quate treatment given to fish and wildlife matters at water development projects in the past. The next activity was to determine the extent and type of impacts wrought to fish and wildlife resources in conjunction with the remaining 78 pro- jects. The fish and wildlife agency within each state containing one or more of the 78 projects was asked to describe the extent of post-construc- tion fish and wildlife data. It quickly became evident that very few of these projects had received poat-construction follow-up evaluation for both fish and wildlife resources. In fact, at 32 projects (411) no.fol- low-up data of any consequence were available for either fishery or wild- life resources. Only 14 projects had even limited data available for fish and wildlife. Post-impoundment fishery data were available from an addi- 42