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15 In 1996, Procedures for stocking nonnative fish species in the Colorado River were approved by the Recovery Program (USFWS 1996), A Memorandum of Agreement implementing the Procedures was signed September 5, 1996, between the Service and the States. The purpose of the Procedures is to ensure that all future stocking of nonnative fish will be consistent with the recovery of the endangered fishes, This agreement remains in effect through the life of the Recovery Program, On January 14, 1999, the Colorado Wildlife Commission adopted regulations that limit the stocking of private ponds. The intent and restrictions in these regulations are identical to the Procedures adopted in 1996, Regulations restricting stocking of private ponds will remain in effect for 4 years, at which time the Wildlife Commission will determine if the procedures were effective, If the regulations restricting the stocking of private ponds are rescinded, then other nonnative control/removal efforts will have to be put in place, Colorado has removed bag limits on all nonnative warmwater sportfishes within the critical habitat reach of the Colorado River. Bag limits had been in place for all warmwater sportfish. The removal of bag limits may increase the numbers of nonnative fish removed from endangered fish habitat. Colorado also has agreed to close river reaches to angling where and when angling mortality is determined to be significant to native fish. Removal efforts In order to reduce the number of nonnative fishes in the Colorado River system, several removal programs have been put in place, One effort removes nonnative fish from ponds along the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers where many species of nonnative fishes reproduce and grow, During high water events, these nonnative fishes have access to or get washed into the river where they complete with and prey on native fishes. Off channel ponds along the Colorado River have been identified as the source of many of the nonnative sportfishes that occur in the river and in endangered fish nursery areas, Ponds in critical habitat in the Colorado River are being identified for reclamation, Pond reclamation can include complete removal of nonnative fish, screening ponds to prevent escapement to the river, and/or reshaping ponds so that they no longer support year round habitation by nonnative fish, The most effective and practicable of these alternatives will be implemented on a case by case basis, The Recovery Program is reclaiming up to 25 ponds each year until all public and private ponds that can be reclaimed are completed, The actual number of ponds to be reclaimed each year will be determined through revision of the current Pond Reclamation scope-of-work as part of the Recovery Action Plan, In 1998, the Colorado Division of Wildlife reclaimed 25 surface acres of ponds; negotiated water management for 5 ponds to facilitate seasonal drying; and reduced depth in I pond to promote winter kill, This activity will continue as long as deemed appropriate by the Recovery Program, Backwaters have been identified as important nursery habitat for Colorado pikeminnow and other native fishes, The majority of the fishes found in backwaters are nonnative cyprinids and centrarchids, and biologists believe that these nonnative fishes compete for food and space with