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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (UCRRP) convened a workshop <br />on August 28-29,2002, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to discuss designing methods to evaluate <br />stocked fish in the upper Colorado River, Green River, and San Juan River subbasins. The <br />workshop was attended by 28 researchers, managers, and representatives from State and Federal <br />agencies, water users, and energy distributors involved in the UCRRP and the San Juan River <br />Recovery Implementation Program (SJRRlP). The purpose ofthe workshop was to initiate <br />development of monitoring programs to evaluate the survival, recruitment, and reproduction of <br />razorback sucker, bonytail, and Colorado pikeminnow stocked in the upper Colorado River, <br />Green River, and San Juan River subbasins to determine whether demographic recovery targets <br />of fish abundance and population structure are being achieved in the expected time fmmes. <br />Objectives were to: (1) review stocking plans (and associated capacity of existing propagation <br />facilities, i.e., facilities plan) and identify necessary revisions to ensure consistency among the <br />plans and compatibility with the demographic recovery criteria for downlisting and delisting; (2) <br />determine if additional "buffers" around the survival-rate estimates are needed to ensure that <br />stocking targets and self-sustaining populations are attained as quickly as possible; and (3) lay- <br />out monitoring programs for evaluation of stocking success, validation of survival estimates, and <br />documentation of recruitment and reproduction. <br /> <br />Conclusions and recommendations regarding revisions to stocking plans were: <br />Discrepancies among stocking plans appear to be related to. the required number of age- <br />classes and application of survival estimates. <br />Stocking plans need greater flexibility to allow stocking whenever fish reach target sizes. <br />The "buffers" previously identified should remain until an evaluation of the stocking <br />success occurs. <br />An integrated Recovery Program (including the San Juan River) stocking plan should be <br />developed. <br /> <br />Conclusions and recommendations regarding monitoring approach and methods were: <br />Recaptures of stocked fish to date have generally indicated considerable downstream <br />dispersal. <br />Fish stocked at larger sizes tend to have better survival. <br />A specific monitoring plan to evaluate stocked fish is not currently recommended; for the <br />next couple of years, evaluation of stocked fish will occur under other efforts, such as, <br />population estimates and nonnative fish removal. <br /> <br />11 <br />