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Alternative 14: Implement user pay mechanisms to determine the demand for catchable trout and to enable DOW to index hatchery production. The DOW should implement a process for determining the link between demand for hatchery production of catchable trout and willingness to pay for that product. This process should be incorporated as formal agency procedure. The user-pay mechanism would be guided by the results obtained under Alternative 13. The specific approach or program implemented cannot be predicted at this point, since new methods may need to be added to those discussed in the Demand Section. Implementation of an index to establish hatchery production targets would inevitably result in some fluctuation and uncertainty from year-to- year. However, indexing hatchery production to real. measures of demand for those products should greatly improve the efficiency of the system, make it more responsive to aquatic resource management needs, and provide a better method of cost containment. Alternative 15: Initiate research to determine if UV light, sand filtration, or other screening materials provide a viable methodology for eliminating WD spores from hatchery supply waters. The DOW has already committed to installing a UV light system at the Roaring Judy unit that should be fully evaluated for its efficiency and reliability in routine hatchery operations. Research results elsewhere have demonstrated promising results using sand filtration and high-technology screening materials for filtering water to remove WD waterborne spores completely. The application of sand filtration and other screening materials should also be evaluated for their applicability to the range of hatchery operations and water sources existing in the state system. If successful, one or more of these technologies could be employed at DOW's WD+ hatcheries at much greater cost-effectiveness than purchasing new facilities. Renovation of existing state units would also entail less disruption to existing personnel onsite. Alternative 17: Reduce or eliminate the WD pathogen from existing state production facilities. Because of the capital investment in property, structures, personnel, water rights and other local considerations, the maintenance and retention of the efficient components of our current hatchery system seems to be a prudent strategy. Over the years, there has been an enormous amount of evaluation, trial and error, and superintendent intuition in developing our production units into efficient operations. Nonetheless, if attempts to adapt technology to clean up a particular production unit are unsuccessful and there is no demonstrated need for the products from that unit, then closure should be considered. That decision should be carefully considered in light of 1) long-term management direction; and 2) current research activities that might discover a new method(s) to eliminate the pathogen (e.g., resistant strain(s), vaccination, etc.). There has been a great deal of technological, economic, and political evaluation completed regarding WD control in DOW hatcheries (see text and 53