8057

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8057
• Author: Bennett, J. R., D. A. Krieger, T. P. Nesler, L. E. Harris and R. B. Nehring.
• Title: An Assessment Of Fishery Management And Fish Production Alternatives To Reduce The Impact Of Whirling Disease In Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

Correspondence Only
Appendix D
STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
DATE: 9 June 1995
TO: Bruce McCloskey
FROM: Eddie Kochman
SUBJECT: Whirling Disease Research Projects
At the May 31st Whirling Disease Committee meeting the following research projects were
selected and will be initiated as soon as sufficient resources are acquired.. Significant redirection
of resources has been accomplished. Additional resources are also required. One project
requires a contract with CSU and and sufficient money is not available in the current fiscal year
to complete the work. If awarded, the contractor should be able to provide a quick test using
DNA analysis to determine if whirling disease organisms are present in water samples, tubifex
worms, and small fish under five months of age after refining a new technique. The contractor
will be required to assist in the analysis of samples as dictated by research and management
objectives using the new technique. Southwest Region Fisheries has agreed to supply $14,000
this year and I recommend we use $6,000 from the Coldwater Fisheries Donation fund to begin
the contract. An additional $10,000 will be needed in 1995-96.
Following are the research projects that will be accomplished if sufficient resources can be
acquired. The activities believed to be top priority are listed below followed by tables showing
the resources that have been redirected in an attempt to accomplish these projects and the
additional resources needed.
(1) A research project has been designed to answer the question of whether the
continued stocking of trout from WD+ units increases or maintains WD spore
levels in WD+ flowing waters above levels produced by the alternate tubifex worm
host. Barry Nehring has been given resources taken from other research projects
to conduct the field portion of this project and Pete Walker will perform the
pathology analysis. It is expected that this project will take at least 4 years as WD
spore levels will be monitored in trout populations where: (A) wild rainbow trout
populations are known to be WD positive, year classes are missing and stocking
of WD+ rainbow trout is continued. (B) Wild rainbow trout populations are known
to be WD positive and there are no missing year classes and WD positive rainbow
trout will continue to be stocked, followed by no stocking. (C) Wild rainbow trout
populations known to be WD +, year classes are missing and no continued stocking
of WD+ ftsh followed by stocking WD+ fish. Susceptible size rainbow trout
will be placed in cages to be sentinels for pathology analysis in selected streams.
These fish along with sampling the feral population of trout in each stream will
provide the information that will answer the question. An additional $11,500 or
64