Agenda: Colorado Wildlife Commission Workshop December 9 1994

• Description: Agenda: Colorado Wildlife Commission Workshop December 9 1994
• State: CO
• Date: 12/9/1994
• Title: Agenda: Colorado Wildlife Commission Workshop December 9 1994
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Agenda

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STATE OF COLORADO
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 718
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone] i0v
TOD: (303) 866 -3543
FAX: [phone] DEPIARTMEN`f OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES
Roy Romer
MEMORANDUM Governor
James S. Lochhead
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
To: Colorado Wildlife Commis 'on Deputy Director
From: Peter Evans, Coordinator
Colorado River Endangered Fishes Recovery Team
Date: December 9, 1994
Regarding: FISH RECOVERY & NON - NATIVE SPORTFISH STOCKING
With the help of Eddie Kochman, Tom Nesler, Larry Harris, Jim Satterfield, Bob
Caskey, Bob Towry and others, the Endangered Fish Recovery Program evaluation of proposed
lake management plans and the regulation of private stocking for western Colorado appear to be
progressing well. We expect to bring a revised "Procedure" to you by March and proposed
regulations by September, 1995. It appears that there is general support for shifting the current
management threshold from the 40 -year floodplain to the 50 -year floodplain, and to limit the
initial application of the proposed restriction on private stocking to the river segments designated
as critical habitat (instead of all portions of the entire west slope below the 6500' elevation). We
are still testing these and other potential revisions among the interested parties, and expect to
bring both of these work products (i.e., the revised Procedure and the proposed rule) to you with
the support of the FWS, private fish growers, participating angling and environmental groups and
water interests.
Our efforts to address Recovery Program concerns related to the management of Northern
pike and centrarcids in the Yampa and Gunnison Rivers are also producing better understanding
and acceptance of the various priorities involved. The FWS and other Recovery Program
participant have accepted our view that sportfish removed from the river should, under most
circumstances, be handled with care and relocated to other acceptable waters, and we have
outlined a process for finalizing plans to begin removing these species based upon the specific
circumstances in each river reach. The constructive participation of Bob Towry and Bob Caskey
in these discussions, along with many other CDOW staff and the FWS, has been pivotal.
However, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Water Conservation Board efforts to appropriate instream flow water rights are moving
forward on schedule, beginning in the Colorado River mainstem (the " 15 mile reach ") and the
Board of Land Commissioners • Division of Minerals & Geology /Geological Survey
Oil & Gas Conservation Commission • Colorado State Parks • Soil Conservation Board
Water Conservation Board • Division of Water Resources • Division of Wildlife