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<br />c..-:> <br />c;-) <br />""'" <br />00 <br />-.J <br />l\.) <br /> <br />Another major event in the SJRIP that occurred in 1995 was completion of the LRP, the guideline for <br />research and management activities for the IS-year program period. The LRP relied heavily on the 7 -year <br />research plan, but it expanded the horizon for research and management actions. This document listed the <br />major milestones of the SJRIP and provided a schedule for completing various research and management <br />goals. <br /> <br />In 1996, two new studies were added to the research effort. The UDWR stocked young-of-the-year <br />(YaY) Colorado pikeminnow to determine if there was sufficient habitat in the system to retain them. This <br />study was directed at Objectives 4 and 7 of the 7- year research plan. It was initially controversial because <br />it involved stocking a size offish that had not been successful in other situations, but it was successful in the <br />San Juan River. The other study initiated in 1996 was a toxicity test of Colorado pikeminnow conducted <br />by the USGS-BRD. This was the last of the contaminant studies, and it used adult hatchery-reared fish <br />that were exposed to various levels of selenilUTI, a natural contaminant common in parts of the San Juan <br />Basin, especially in irrigation returns. <br /> <br />In 1997, the first real management'recovery action was initiated when the USFWS (Grand Junction) was <br />funded to develop an Augmentation Plan for razorback sucker. By this time the results of the studies <br />showed the rarity of wild razorback sucker in the river. The razorback sucker Augmentation Plan was <br />finalized, and 2,885 subadult razorback sucker were stocked into the river in September 1997. <br /> <br />Research into the means for recovering the endangered fish species in the San Juan River developed into <br />a complex scientific undertaking. Scientists from a variety of federal, state, and private organizations <br />worked together to investigate all potential issues that limit the two endangered fish species and other native <br />fishes. Although much of the work did not stop after 7 years, a considerable amount of knowledge was <br />gained during the 7-year research period. That knowledge is smnmarized in the next two chapters and in <br />the Flow Report. The final chapter of this doclUTIent describes remaining tasks for assuring recovery of <br />the endangered fish species and the native fish community in the San Juan River. That information will be <br />used, along with this doclUTIent, to develop a revised LRP. <br /> <br />September 2000 <br /> <br />2-11 <br /> <br />Program Evaluation Report <br />