WSP00625

• File Number: 8240.200.10.B
• Description: UCRBRIP Annual Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/12/1995
• Author: UCRBRIP
• Title: 1994 Annual Reports Package Part 1
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

The 19 bottomland sites where staff gauges were placed in Task Ib
were screened for possible land acquisition. A team' composed
of fisheries and realty experts contacted and visited land owners
of these sites and discussed potential land acquisition, lease,
or easement opportunities,

d, Rank identified bottomlands as to potential contribution to
endangered fish recovery.

Task Id was accomplished by November 1994. Twenty-five
bottomland sites in the Green River and 32 sites in the Colorado
River were prioritized. The complete bottomland list will be
included in the Draft Final Report.

Proiect FindinQs:

The reconnaissance survey and inventory will provide photo documentation
and a catalog listing of mainstem flooded bottomlands in the upper
Colorado River basin. The list of prioritized bottomland habitats will
provide managers with candidate sites for acquisition, restoration, and
management for recovery of endangered fishes.

Proiect ShortcominQs

Cataloging several hundred 3S-mm color slides and computer digitizing to
determine the area of the numerous floodplain sites has taken longer than
expected, I nformat i on from all potent i a 1 sites in the upper Colorado
River basin will be included on the cataloging data sheets. Stage-
discharge relationships, flows necessary for overbank flooding at the 19
initial sites screened, and flow exceedences for each of these sites will
be completed in December 1994, These tasks must be completed before the
Draft Final Report can be submitted.

VII, Recommendations:

Preliminary analysis of the floodplain habitats suggests that the
priority sites in the Green River are located at the Ouray National
Wildl ife Refuge wetland complex. In the Colorado River, the priority
sites include the Walter Walker Wildlife Area and Golf-Course West (18-
Mile Reach) and a series of sites in the Oldham Bottoms (IS-Mile Reach).
In the Gunni son Ri ver, Johnson Boy's Slough and the Escalante State
Wildlife area were identified as priority sites, Initial preparations,
planning, research, and land acquisition efforts should focus on
endangered fish recovery at these bottomland areas.

VIII, Project Status: The bottomland habitat inventory will be completed in
December 1994, The Draft Final Report is due IS December.

, The Green River team consisted of David Irving, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Dave Webster, Soil Conservation Service, and Doyle Dow, U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, The Colorado River team consisted of Bob Burdick,
U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Doyle Dow, U.S, Bureau of
Reclamation,

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