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o. Provide aquatic habitats with ample vegetative cover to improve <br />nursery habitat. <br />p. Assess contaminant levels in lake Powell fish tissues. <br />q. Understand and minimize the impacts of dam operation on native and <br />sport fish populations. <br />D. LEES FERRY TAILWATER <br />1. Status of Lees Ferry Tailwater: The 15-mile tailwater below Glen Canyon <br />Dam is known as the Lees Ferry reach. The tailwater is completely control-led <br />by releases from Glen Canyon Oam. Dam release patterns have been shown to <br />influence the aquatic food chain and the overall health of trout. Flows from <br />Glen Canyon Oam are currently being maintained under interim flow <br />restrictions. Under these flows the food base has stabilized and trout <br />condition is improving. Many anglers utilize catch and release techniques. <br />Most of the trout taken are under the slot limit. Trout in the 16-22 inch <br />slot limit must be returned alive. The largest remnant population of humpback <br />chub resides in the Little Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon NRA. <br />Within Lees Ferry tailwater, the flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, and <br />speckled dace are native fish that are still found in the altered river <br />habitat. <br />2. Lees Ferry Tailwater Goal: Maintain a "blue ribbon" trout fishery in the <br />altered river habitat by regulations emphasizing limited harvest. Protect and <br />restore those native fish that still reside in this reach. <br />3. Lees Ferry Tailwater Management Objectives <br />a. Conserve and restore the native fish community in Glen Canyon while <br />providing for Coldwater sportfish populations and recreational <br />opportunities. <br />b. Maintain healthy, self-sustaining populations of flannelmouth <br />sucker, bluehead sucker, and speckled dace in the mainstem Colorado <br />River in Grand Canyon and its tributaries. <br />c. Recreational fishing is to be used as a tool to reduce or control <br />nonnative species. <br />d. Maintain and enhance the aquatic food base in Glen Canyon. Maintain <br />continuously inundated areas of Cladoohora~ and aquatic <br />invertebrates at or above 5,000 cfs discharge. <br />e. Establish and maintain atrophy trout fishery in Lees Ferry reach of <br />Glen Canyon. <br />f. Rainbow Trout Age III fish should be at least 50% from natural <br />reproduction. <br />22 <br />