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<br />13 <br /> <br />site drains, so it is not a year round pond that supports nonnative fishes. This site will provide <br />shallow wann water habitat for prespawning conditioning for Colorado pikeminnow and <br />razorback sucker, It provides a quiet water refuge and an abundant food supply during spring <br />runoff, <br /> <br />Adobe Creek and Walter Walker State Wildlife Area are two floodplain sites used in an evaluation <br />of contaminant impacts on razorback sucker reproduction, Water control structures were <br />constructed in a tertiary channel at Adobe Creek, enabling a section ofthis channel to be isolated <br />and controlled for this evaluation and for possible use as a grow-out area for larval razorback <br />suckers in the future. A water control structure also was constructed at Walter Walker allowing <br />100 cfs of fresh water from the river to enter in an attempt to help lower selenium levels at this <br />site. This appears to have been successful. <br /> <br />Two properties (181 acres) have been acquired along the Colorado River for restoring <br />endangered fish habitat in the floodplain. Approximately 13 properties are currently in various <br />stages of the pre-acquisition process, The priorities along the Colorado River include several <br />gravel pit ponds and partnerships with local private, county, State, and Federal entities. The <br />Recovery Program will continue to support funding and acquisition of interest in bottomlands <br />identified by the Service as needed for recovery of the endangered fish along the Colorado River, <br />Current plans are to acquire interest in up to 3,500 acres of bottomland habitat along the Upper <br />Colorado River in the Grand Valley and along the Gunnison River. Properties will be purchased <br />on a willing seller basis, <br /> <br />A second component of habitat restoration is construction of fish passageways on dams and <br />diversions that have blocked endangered fish access to important historical habitat. These barriers <br />have fragmented habitat and prevented access to spawning, feeding, and winter habitats, <br />Construction of a passageway was completed in January 1998 at the Grand Valley Irrigation <br />Company Diversion Dam. It consists of a notch in the dam and a series of pools and riffles <br />immediately below, This configuration of rocks creates pools and riffles in ascending increments, <br />and allows fish to swim upstream and over the dam during periods oflow flow, Two additional <br />fish passages at Price-Stubb and Grand Valley Project Diversion Dams are currently in the <br />planning and evaluation stage. Colorado pikeminnow no longer occur above the Price-Stubb <br />Dam, Passage at the Price-Stubb Diversion Dam is currently scheduled to be completed in <br />September 2000, If the dam removal option is chosen, the schedule could be delayed until April <br />2002 to accommodate completion of the Plateau Creek Pipeline Project by Ute Water <br />Conservancy District. Restoration of passage at the Government Highline Diversion Dam is <br />tentatively scheduled for completion during 2001. <br /> <br />3, Native Fish Stocking Element <br /> <br />To achieve recovery it is important to maintain the genetic integrity of wild and captive-reared <br />endangered fishes and to prevent irreversible losses of genetic diversity, The genetic management <br />goals of the Recovery Program are to prevent immediate extinction; to conserve genetic diversity <br />