7781

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7781
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Recovery Plan for WOUNDFIN,
• USFW Year: 1979.
• Copyright Material: NO

(1.34) Habitat Management Plans.
In conjunction with other habitat management efforts, the Team
recommends a Virgin River habitat management plan be drawn up
that identifies woundfin management operations for the River.
The plan should be detailed enough to recommend specific management
practices to the agency doing the work. Preparation of the plan
should commence as soon as possible and be finished in 18 months.
Developmental costs are estimated at $11,000. The Team recommends
that BLM be assigned to develop the habitat management plan as
they have expertise in this area.
(1.35) Recommend Essential Habitat
In early 1976, the Recovery Team recommended essential habitat
for the woundfin to the Fish and Wildlife Service. This recommen-
dation was forwarded to Washington on November 11, 1976, and proposed
in the Federal Register on November 2, 1977. On November 10, 1978,
the Endangered Species Act was amended requiring the withdrawal
of the essential habitat recommendation on March 6, 1979. Essential
habitat will have to be reinitiated.
(1.36) Designate Critical Habitat
Once essential habitat has been proposed, affected states notified,
and comments received, the Secretary of the Interior is impowered
to determine critical habitat.
(1.4) Enhance marginal habitat.
To increase the size of the present woundfin population in the
Virgin River, the Team recommends that intermittent reaches of
the stream and other areas now marginal for woundfin but which
support small, persistent populations should be examined for
possible enhancement potentials. This work will be founded on
the information made available by the habitat preference and
hydrology models. It is anticipated that providing permanent
flows for intermittent reaches will be one of the most important
enhancement techniques.
(1.41) Identify marginal habitat.
Marginal reaches of the Virgin River that are recommended by the
Team for possible upgrading include the reaches from the Mesquite
diversion to Lake Mead and from the Washington-St. George Canal
Company diversion downstream to the Washington Bridge. There
are also stretches of habitat from the old Bloomington Bridge
downstream to Little Round Valley which also deserve consideration.
Other areas will be identified through monitoring and electivity
curve information.
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