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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />stocking, nonnative fish control. instream flow management). <br />Population data also will be used to assess the status of bony tail <br />and razorback populations when those data become available. <br /> <br />Other Factors <br /> <br />Other factors also will be monitored/evaluated through existing/planned <br />programs to assess the health of the population such as (a) expansion of the <br />range of the endangered fish, (b) the success of efforts to control nonnative <br />fishes, (c) increases in usable flooded bottom habitats. (d) survival/behavior <br />of stocked fish. Ultimately. these measures should lead to an increase in the <br />endangered fish populations. However. detecting a significant population <br />response associated with these actions could take many years, These factors <br />will be qualitatively considered in the assessment of the health of the fish <br />popu 1 at ion. However. cons i derati on of these factors wi 11 be secondary to the <br />assessment of the population indices above. <br /> <br />Role of Stocked Fish <br /> <br />The presence of stocked hatchery fish can provide an inaccurate picture of the <br />size and health of the wild population. Therefore. fish stocked into the <br />Colorado River should be marked to allow the size of the wild population to be <br />differentiated from the size of the stocked population. While stocked fish <br />contribute to the size of the adult population, the overall health of a <br />specific population depends upon successful reproduction as indicated by <br />increased numbers of young-of-the-year fish and corresponding increases in the <br />wild adult population due to recruitment. <br /> <br />Baseline conditions, including expected annual variations. should be <br />established for each of the indices to reflect the current status of fish <br />populations. The Recovery Program staff intends to develop these indices for <br />review by the Biology Committee by December 1999, The programmatic biological <br />opinion will address specifically how these indices will be used to assess the <br />status of fish populations. Generally. as long as the indices remain above <br />the established baselines. Section 7 consultation would not be reinitiated. <br />If the indices remain the same or drop below the baseline, the Service may <br />reinitiate consultation if the situation is attributable to water depletions. <br />Consultation would be reinitiated in accordance with the provisions of the <br />biological opinion. The same data will also be used to determine if <br />additional water depletions in the upper Colorado River are biologically <br />justifiable. Increases in fish populations as determined using the population <br />indices may support increasing the water depletion limits established in the <br />