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PREFACE <br />Floodplain wetlands are biologically complex habitats that are potentially <br />important for endangered fish recovery. Their functional re-connection in the Upper <br />Colorado River Basin (UCRB) may be especially important given the general reduction <br />in channel and floodplain complexity, primarily associated with dam construction and <br />flood management activities. If we develop and manage flooded bottomlands to benefit <br />native fish species, we must ascertain whether these habitats will also benefit nonnative <br />fishes. First, we-must determine whether important nonnative predator species utilize <br />these habitats. Second, if nonnative species do utilize these habitats, we must <br />ascertain whether the additional 'littoral-like' habitats will result in an overall increase in <br />the nonnative fish community in the system because of enhanced spawning, growth, <br />and/or survivorship. Third, if the nonnative fish community does increase as a result of <br />habitat restoration, what effect does an increase of nonnative fishes have on the <br />endangered fish populations in terms of predation and competition. Therefore, the <br />purpose of the levee removal project and associated evaluation studies is to <br />demonstrate the importance of the floodplain to native and endangered fishes of the <br />upper Colorado River basin, and to determine if floodplain habitat restoration will <br />contribute towards recovery of the endangered fishes (because of increases in food <br />and habitat), while not benefitting non-native fishes. <br />The overall strategy for the Levee Removal Program was to remove levees from <br />selected floodplain wetlands on a sequential temporal and spatial scale so that the <br />response offish populations and the dynamics of 'restored' and natural floodplain areas <br />could be carefully evaluated. <br />x <br />