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<br />o <br />C:) <br />L;, <br />j' ... <br />, ,~ <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />CD <br /> <br />the private "0-10 ponds" are reclaimed, project SUccess <br />might not be noted in the overall riverine species <br />composition sampling. Chances of 100% reclamation Seem <br />slight, but we do not know what minimal participation is <br />needed to warrant pursuit of the DOW proposal. <br /> <br />10. If not all ponds in the floodplain are treated, it might be <br />possible to evaluate individual mainstream reaches. DOW!FWS <br />could then compare changes in the fish community in those <br />mainstream reaches with 100% pond reclamation to those <br />reaches with less than 100% reclamation. Reaches should be <br />large (>30 km) . <br /> <br />11. Ongoing enhancement or restoration of flooded bottomland <br />habitats to provide increased plankton sources and resting <br />areas for young endangered fishes along the mainstream <br />Colorado River may become a new source of nonnative fishes <br />inoculation, making it difficult to evaluate this proposal. <br /> <br />12. We recommend that survey methods for the main river include <br />counts of all fishes captured, not just the native and <br />selected nonnative fishes. We are unsure as to the <br />predation/competition relations each of the nonnative fishes <br />has with the native fishes, so counting all species provides <br />a better assessment of recovery effort success. Also, note <br />that seining provides a biased estimate of species <br />composition, and that electrofishing, netting, and other <br />collection means should also be considered. <br /> <br />iJ. Better data are needed on which species are maintaining <br />self-sustaining populations within the mainstream, <br />Information is now by inference or indirect observation <br />rather than detailed biological data. This is in need of <br />improvement in order to aSSess and define appropriate <br />management of ponds in the 50-year floodplain, <br /> <br />14. We are concerned about DOW's ability to gain long-term <br />landowner cooperation to manage ponds on private lands, and <br />how those landowners may be reimbursed. Cash incentives or <br />payment of access fees may set precedents that will affect <br />recovery and management efforts in the future. <br /> <br />15. Gravel berms around ponds to protect them from flooding will <br />not remove them from a lower floodplain level, as those <br />berms are likely to be breached during flood events. Unless <br />berms are built to government specifications, surface levels <br />of ponds should indicate their position in the floodplain, <br />not the elevations of the berms surrounding the ponds. <br /> <br />16. It could be argued that eradication of nonnative fishes <br />from floodplain ponds could be made without allowing <br />stocking of game fishes in the 10- to 50-year floodplain <br />