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.(:) \~J C..;l ("\) OJ 6 stocked into the mainstream via canals or overflow during flooding. Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, and bony tail chub could also be considered for stocking in these "O-lO ponds," In ponds where the landowner is not interested in salmonids, only native fishes should be stocked. 5. In the "lO-50 ponds," consider stocking subadult or adult razorback sucker in conjunction with largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie. Razorback suckers may spawn in these ponds and produce fry. Chances are low that any of the fry will survive predation by the nonnative fishes, but the few that may survive, or the adults themselves will have the opportunity to migrate into the mainstream when the river overflows those ponds every 10 to 50 years. predation on stocked razorback suckers will improve growth of largemouth bass, and some large razorback suckers will be added to the mainstream at infrequent intervals. b. We are not especially worried about the infrequent input ot game fishes from the "10-50 ponds" during flooding, as thos" species will apparently not establish self-sustaining populations in the river, and thus numbers should be so low as to not greatly impact the endangered fishes. However, in those ponds have connecting channels to the river, those channels must be screened to prevent migration. 7. Once a "0-10" pond or "10-50 pond" is breached by floodwaters, there is a chance that undesirable fishes may gain access and establish there. Once a pond has been flooded, it then should be surveyed to make sure that detrimental fishes have not been established. If they have, the pond should be reclaimed. 8 . Colorado Department of Agriculture has suggested that. the "10-50 ponds" under private ownership should be stocked with fishes from private commercial aquaculture facilities. We are concerned about incidental inclusion of unwanted fishes, as we have always seen non-target fishes delivered to a stocking site mixed in with purchased species, including fishes like goldfish (Carassius auratus) and golden shiners INotemigonus crysoleucas) that may not presently be maintaining self-sustaining populations within the Colorado River watershed. DOW should assure that the private ponds managed for warmwater game fish are not contaminated with unwanted species during stocking. This is not a concern in the public ponds to be stocked by DOW, as we understand that DOW hatcheries maintain pure stocks. 9, We are concerned about renovation, sampling, and stocking of the "0-10 ponds" on private property. Of course the elimination of any of these sources of unwanted fishes benefits the native fishes, but if only a small portion of