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<br /> <br /> <br />enclosures was sampled again on October 8, 2002. The razorback sucker population outside the <br />enclosures was estimated using the Peterson, and the Schumacher and Eschmeyer methods <br />described in Krebs (1999). Bonytail outside the enclosures were estimated using the Darrock <br />estimator [M(t)] from the program CAPTURE. The control enclosure was seined repeatedly <br />until all fish were removed. <br />An underwater video camera was used to record fish behavior, predator avoidance, and <br />use of cover. <br />RESULTS <br />Water Quality Measurements <br />Spring flood flows peaked at 7,570 cfs, (214 m3 /sec) far below the magnitude needed to <br />connect the river to The Stirrup floodplain (13,500 cfs or 283 m3/sec). Due to low flow, river <br />~ water was pumped into the floodplain from the river in late April and provided a maximum depth <br />in excess of 1.0 meter within study enclosures. Following an initial drop in depth to 0.93 m in <br />the fish enclosures, water elevation was increased to 1.06 m and maintained at approximately 1.0 <br />m through the study. Water quality in the Stirrup was conducive to growth of age-0, warm water <br />fish with recorded temperatures ranging from 19 to 28'C and averaging 25.4' C (Figure 1.). <br />Dissolved oxygen rarely dropped below 5.0'mg/1 at any time of day during the study <br />when data were collected (Figure 1.). <br />Zooplankton densities were dramatically influenced by the presence of fish. The <br /> <br />zooplankton density in the floodplain outside the study enclosures showed a typical floodplain <br />rapid increase up to 400 zooplankton per liter. This was followed by a subsequent decline to <br />between 30 and 50 z/1 following the appearance of vascular plants (Figure 2.). Zooplankton <br />density outside the fish enclosures also showed a small but consistent increase mid summer, <br />f <br />coincident with pumping activity to maintain water elevation. The spring zooplankton peak in <br />r <br />7 <br />