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<br />-Sampling of adult Colorado squawfish immediately before and during <br />spawning should be minimized to reduce disturbance and sampling mortality. <br />Sampl ing of endangered fishes, in general, needs to be coordinated to <br />eliminate unnecessary duplication of efforts and to minimize impacts on <br />fish. <br /> <br />-Collection of life-history, abundance (using marked or tagged fish), and <br />other fishery data on all fishes (including nonnatives) is important. <br /> <br />-Research being conducted within the Flaming Gorge Program needs to be <br />coordinated with other research studies in the Recovery Implementation <br />Program such as the Interagency Standardized Monitoring Program (ISMP), <br />channel monitoring studies, and hydrology support programs. <br /> <br />-Research being conducted within the Flaming Gorge Program also needs to <br />be coordinated with other research activities which will be initiated on <br />the Green River, particularly the Middle Green River contaminant studies <br />which will be initiated by the Service and Reclamation. <br /> <br />The overall approach outlined by the research team invol ves studies <br />evaluating a series of null hypotheses (postulated to guide research efforts) <br />related to seasonal operation of FGD. The overall research program consists of <br />three interrelated areas of effort (Figure 2): 1) long-term systematic <br />sampling/research (Core-Research Studies), 2) specific hypothesis-testing <br />"experiments. (Hypothesis-Testing Studies), and Habitat-Management/Evaluation <br />Studies. Core-research studies will prOVide long-term trend data on biological <br />responses to altered flows. Hypothesis-testing studies are shorter-term <br />investigations testing specific hypotheses related to flows. Habitat- <br />management/evaluation studies were incorporated into the research program to <br />evaluate projects designed .to increase habitat for endangered fishes. <br /> <br />3.3,1 Null Hypotheses (organized by species/seasonal periodS) <br /> <br />Colorado sQuawfish <br /> <br />SDrinll <br />RecOl1ll1ended releases from FGD that mlmlC historic spring-runoff <br />flows do not enhance Colorado squawfish spawning/reproduction in the <br />mainstem Green River. <br /> <br />Seasonally flooded bottomlands do not enhance spawning success of <br />adult Colorado squawfish <br /> <br />SDri na/Summer '. <br />RecOlllllended releases from FGD do not affect the fO'rmation and <br />maintenance of Colorado squawfish nursery habitats. <br /> <br />Summer <br />RecOl1ll1ended releases from FGD do not affect the quantity or quality <br />of Colorado squawfish nursery habitats in both the upper and lower <br />Green River. <br /> <br />Flaming Gorge Studies <br /> <br />7 <br />