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It is unlikely that state agency resources will ever be adequate <br />to complete the level of monitoring and assessment of aquatic <br />life resources that would be desirable.in all of the state's <br />river basins. However, the recent creation of a number of local <br />and regional watershed initiatives may help facilitate the <br />evaluation of limiting factors for aquatic life protection in <br />critical portions of the state's waters. The WQCD and WQCC <br />support these bottom -up efforts to take a more holistic and <br />community -based approach to the management of water resources <br />within a defined watershed through the involvement of a full <br />range of interested stakeholders. To date, these agencies have <br />worked to encourage further exploration of the possibilities of <br />the watershed planning and management concept through active <br />participation in the efforts of the Colorado Water Quality Forum, <br />which has recently finalized a working paper entitled Colorado <br />Watershed Protection Approach. <br />Identification of protection strategies: <br />In order for strategies to protect native species and their <br />habitats to be successful, an integrated approach that takes into <br />account the full range of identified limiting factors would be <br />necessary. The importance of water quality as a potential <br />limiting factors will vary in individual circumstances. Where <br />water quality is a major limiting factor, both the regulatory and <br />non - regulatory programs developed by the WQCC and WQCD may play <br />an important role in protection efforts. <br />As discussed above, the WQCC has adopted an extensive system of <br />water quality classifications and standards intended to protect <br />aquatic life. Where determined to be necessary based on <br />additional information, classifications and standards can be <br />revised to assure more complete protection of native species. <br />For point source discharges of pollutants, required discharge <br />permits are intended to assure compliance with adopted water <br />quality classifications and standards, including those directed <br />at the protection of aquatic life. In recent years, chemical - <br />specific effluent limitations in discharge permits have been <br />supplemented by the establishment of aquatic life biomonitoring <br />requirements. These provisions attempt to more directly assess <br />the impact of effluent on aquatic life by testing the results of <br />exposure of indicator species to varying concentrations of <br />effluent. The Colorado Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund is <br />available to help finance improvements to domestic whstewater <br />treatment facilities and municipal stormwater control systems, <br />including where necessary to protect native species. <br />In addition to these regulatory efforts, the development of <br />voluntary nonpoint source pollution control projects can play an <br />important aquatic life resource protection role. These projects, <br />undertaken with a combination of state or local resources and <br />18 <br />