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As such ,the Mainstem Green River Action Plan contains a task to identify options <br />to release warmer water and restore native fish habitat in this reach. <br />A number of potentially harmful contaminants (including selenium, petroleum <br />derivatives, heavy metals, and uranium) and suspected contaminant "hot spots" <br />have been identified in the upper basin. It is the intent of the Recovery Program to <br />support and encourage the activities of entities outside the Recovery Program that <br />are working to identify problem sites, evaluate contaminant impacts, and reduce or <br />eliminate those impacts. <br />2.3 III REDUCE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF NONNATIVE FISHES AND SPORTFISH <br />MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES <br />Fifty-two fish species occur in the upper basin, but only 13 of those are native <br />species. Many of the nonnative fishes have been successful due to changes in the <br />river system that favor their survival over that of native fishes. Competition with <br />and predation from nonnative species (not including salmonids) is widely assumed <br />to have played a role in the decline of the endangered fishes (Bestgen 1990). <br />However, evidence of direct impacts of introduced species on native fishes is <br />difficult to obtain (Schoenherr 1981) and often is masked by man-caused habitat <br />alterations (Moyle 1976). <br />Recovery Program activities related to nonnative fishes to date have focused <br />primarily on identifying impacts/interactions and developing nonnative fish stocking <br />procedures. The Recovery Action Plans include a variety of tasks to assess <br />impacts of nonnative fishes where those impacts are still relatively unknown, to <br />identify potential conflicts between reservoir fisheries management and develop <br />alternative management plans, to assess options to prevent nonnative fish <br />escapement from reservoirs, and to assess sportfishing regulations and angling <br />mortality on native fishes. Depending on the results of these evaluative tasks, <br />actions may then be taken to reduce or eliminate impacts of the nonnative fishes. <br />The states and the Service also are developing procedures for stocking nonnative <br />fishes in the upper basin which also will be reviewed and approved under the <br />Recovery Program. The procedures are designed to reduce the impact of stocking <br />of nonnative fishes on native fishes in the upper basin and clarify the role of the <br />states, the' Service, and others, in the review of stocking proposals. It is intended <br />that all participants in the Recovery Program will abide by and support these <br />procedures. <br />2.4 IV. CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE <br />POPULATIONS <br />Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. <br />This is a very complex activity that includes: determining the genetic stocks of the <br />endangered fishes; protecting those stocks in refugia; planning, developing, and <br />9 <br />