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<br />. . ('"\ :.~ <br />~"i~'" <br /> <br />pressure on the reservoirs coupled with the lack of <br />sufficient spawning areas, an estimated 72.9 tons of hatchery <br />reared fish will be required annually to stock Project reser- <br />voirs. There may be additional species stocked in the res- <br />ervoirs, as has occurred in completed facilities; this <br />stocking includes species that did not, or could not, <br />inhabit the streams. Such species include lake trout, the <br />Bonneville cisco, kokanee salmon, and smelt in the cold <br />water reservoirs. Trout will .be.stocked in Pueblo Reservoir; <br />however, trout had been observed in the Arkansas River prior <br />to the impoundment of the water. Due to the need for addi- <br />tional fish, the Bureau will provide 6.7 second-feet of water <br />to the hatchery at Leadville. There will also be a warm <br />water hatchery and cold water rearing unit at Pueblo Reservoir. <br />These facilities will provide fish for Project reservoirs <br />and increase the fish production in the State. <br /> <br />The most significant change in species composition as a <br />result of the impoundment will occur in the plankton and <br />benthos. The organisms in the lotic communities differ <br />significantly from lacustrine communities. The naiads <br />(aquatic nymphs) that abound in the riffle aress of pro- <br />duction streams are restricted to the littoral zone of <br />reservoirs, However, in fluctuating reservoirs, benthic <br />production and organisms are limited. Aquatic insect <br />larvae in lakes are more commonly of the order Diptera, e,g. <br />bloodworms, and Tricoptera, rather than the Plecoptera <br />(stoneflies), Odonata (dragonflies), and Ephemeroptera <br />(mayflies). The benthos then undergoes a nearly complete <br />change in species composition although the Tricoptera <br />(caddiflies) are common in both lakes and streams. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Algae also differ significsntly between the two types of <br />habitat. In a stream the algae are restricted to those. <br />that can become attached to a substrate, such as rocks and <br />rooted aquatic plants. All others are washed downstream. <br />There are also attached algal species (periphyton) in lakes. <br />However, these are a minor contributor to the total primary <br />production of the lake. Since most of the lake is open <br />water area, planktonic species account for most of the <br />primary production and its contributing biomass. Some of <br />these individuals pass through the dam and can enter the <br />downstream ecosystem, but only on a temporary basis. <br /> <br />Fish inhabiting a reservoir following inundation of their <br />former stream habitat mUSL change their diet. Species that <br />can subsist on a wide range of forage, such as rainbow trout, <br />do well in these circumstances. However, other less desir- <br />able species may become competitive fOllowing impoundment. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />IV-35 <br />