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<br />o <br />. c::) <br />(:.) <br /> <br />I. ,~ <br />t-.... <br />00 <br /> <br />of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming reviewed Lake Management Plans in December, <br />1994, evaluated the Interim Procedures, and considered comments that were <br />solicited from the public. The only issue that surfaced during this test of <br />the Interim Procedures was the stocking of ponds in the 50-year floodplain. <br />The Interim Procedures required a case-by-case review of such stocking <br />proposals. The Review Team revised the Procedures to provide conditions for <br />stocking nonnative fishes in the 50-year floodplain. <br /> <br />In January of 1995, the Regional Director of the Service and the Director of <br />the Colorado Division of Wildlife met and discussed further options to allow <br />stocking of nonnative fishes in the 50-year floodplain within critical habitat <br />of the endangered fishes, They developed the following proposed conditions <br />for inclusion in the Procedures: <br /> <br />A. No warmwater fish species will be stocked by the State or private landowners within the 10- <br />y~ar Hoodplain of hab\tat o-esl9nated as erHical to the enda{'l9~red fishes. Mapping of the <br />10-year, 50.year, and lOO-year floodplains will be completed by the cotorado Uater <br />Conservation Board. <br /> <br />s. Chronic escapement of nonnQtive, warmwater fish species will be reduced in the critical <br />habitat of the endangered fishes by et imlnating existing nonnative, warrnwater fishes in the <br />10-year floodplain. <br /> <br />C. Trout stocking may be continued in the 10-year floodplain. The U.S. Fish and Uildlife Service <br />wilt provide up to 20,000 catchable-size trout (about 3 per pound) to the State(s) for <br />stocking public ponds or lakes in the 50-year floodplain which are unsuitable for warrnwater <br />fish management. <br /> <br />D. Stocking of largemouth bass, bluegill, and b(ac~ crappie wilt be allowed in waters within the <br />10- to 50-year floodplain. <br /> <br />Such :>.toc\::.;ng wou\d be preceded by chemical reclamation of target waters and installing fish <br />screens or other fish control srructure~ to reduce ~sc~pement of nonnative fishes from water <br />connected to th~ river. <br /> <br />E. Large reservoirs outside of the 50~year. floodplain that have a direct connection to rivers in <br />the Upp~r CoLo,ado R\~er Basin (e.g., El~head Reservo\r, H\ghLine Rese,voir, and others) ~\t~ <br />be equipped with a fish control structure OJ device betcre the stocking of nonnative, <br />warmwater fish species would be allowed. <br /> <br />F. A program wilt be explor~d tor private landowne,s who wi5h to stock sportfishes into ponds <br />w;th;n critical habitat of the endangered fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />O. to 10-year Floodplain <br /> <br />Reclaim pond or lake and stock with trout. <br /> <br />10- to 50-year floodolain <br /> <br />Reclaim pond or lake and stock with trout. <br />Reclaim pond or taKe, install fish control device in waters WIth a connection to upper <br />basin rivers, and replace present fishes wit~ largemouth bass, btuegill, and black <br />crapp\e. <br /> <br />These proposed conditions were reviewed by three independent biologists (i.e., <br />persons who are not directly employed by the Review Team agencies) who <br />discussed the conditions during a meeting on April 24-25, 1995 ~Iith the Review <br />Team. The three independent biologists (Dr, Steven Flickinger - Colorado <br />State University, Dr. James Johnson - Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife <br />Research Unit, and Dr. Wayne Hubert - Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife <br />Research Unit) are not directly involved with the present Recovery Program <br /> <br />3 <br />