WSP02694

• File Number: 8240.200.10.C.4
• Description: UCRBRIP Flooded Bottom Lands
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1995
• Author: UCRBRIP
• Title: Floodplain Habitat Restoration - 1995 Work Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Sub-objectives:

a. Select a large variety (sizes, degree and period of flooding,
scattered geographically, terraces and depressions, permanent pools,
bac~waters, mouths of tributaries, outflows from draining
floodplains, etc.) and number of connectable floodplain sites
(within contaminants constraints).
b. Monitor fish communities (including razorbac~ suckers). Must
coordinate with limited flooding periods. Use gear/methods capable
of catching razorbacks and other native and nonnative fishes.
c. Monitor water levels and calibrate with area flooded (using aerial
photos). Monitor water temperatures. Describe type and amount of
(predation avoidance) cover.
d. Monitor long-term changes in floodplain and adjoining channel
geomorphology.
e. Monitor long-term changes in riparian plant communities.

Sub-objectives 2 a. through e. are attempts to identify ecosystem conditions
which favor razorback suckers, in the hope that the ecosystem can be managed
for those conditions. Objective 2 encompasses floodplain habitats from the
thalweg to the IOO-year flood elevation. Notice that most of the sub-
objectives begin with the word "monitor". Achievement of these sub-objectives
will require development and implementation of a comprehensive long-term
monitoring program (for the Green River initially) for selected floodplain
habitats, to monitor fish communities (which will require refinement and
standardization of sampling gears, methods, and strategies), flows, water
levels, contaminants, temperatures, cover, geomorphology, and riparian plant
communities. The empirical data collected will be used to determine if
recovery act i vi ties can produce a "natural n system that wi 11 susta in the
endangered fishes. Monitoring locations will be selected for sampling during
low, medium, and high flow years on the ascending, peak, descending, and base-
flow limbs of the hydrograph, to determine timing and sequence of habitat use
by the various species/life stages. Hopefully, results will yield clues about
habitat configurations and flow regimes that will favor the endangered fishes
(via management of nonnative fishes, contaminants, food, and geomorphology, as
well as the extent, duration, frequency, and timing of overbank flows), and
will also serve as the barometer for evaluating floodplain restoration
activities.

Eoiloaue - The Floodplain Habitat Restoration Program will combine habitat
"construction" and "research". The habitat construction portion will be based
on what we think we know about habitat needs of the endangered fishes. The
habitat research portion will test and refine our "knowledae" and assumotions.
A large portion of the Program budget will be spent on constructing,
restoring, and enhancing floodplain habitats to benefit the endangered fishes.
An equally large portion of the budget will be spent on determining how to re-
create and manage a "natural" ecosystem, and how to evaluate the results of
restoration activities.

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