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<br />L..R <br /> <br />'littoral-like' habitats will actually result in an overall increase in the nonnative fish community in the <br />system because of enhanced spawning, growth and/or survivorship. Third, if the nonnative fish <br />community does increase as a result of habitat restoration, we must be detennine what effect more <br />nonnative fishes will have on the endangered fish populations. <br /> <br />IV. Study Goals, Objectives, End Product: <br /> <br />Project Goal: <br /> <br />To restore and enhance natural floodplain habitats and functions that SUPPOI1 recovery of endangered fishes <br />(especially the razorback sucker). <br /> <br />Objectives: <br /> <br />L Reconnect Selected Floodolains with the River Channel <br /> <br />2. Evaluate Svstem Resoonses to Levee Removal <br /> <br />A. Determine if native or nonnative fish utilize inundated floodplain habitats (and the associated <br />river channel) differentially (proximate response). <br /> <br />B. Determine if native and/or nonnative fish increase io areas (river reaches) of high floodplain <br />habitat inundation (ultimate response). <br /> <br />C. Determine if native versus nonnative fish responses to floodplain inundation are different in <br />river reaches that originally had high or low nonnative fish densities (based on current estimates). <br /> <br />D. Determine if native fish habitat utilization, growth and survival are negatively correlated with <br />nonnative fish responses. <br /> <br />E. Determine if floodplain habitats result in an increase in food resources available for native or <br />nonnative fishes (either in the inundated areas or the adjacent river channel). <br /> <br />F. Determine response of riparian vegetation to levee removal, and effects on above-mentioned <br />responses. <br /> <br />1. Measure reSDonses in maniDulated sites <br /> <br />A. Determine the importance of timing and duration of inundation to native and nonnative fish <br />production <br /> <br />B. Determine the effectiveness of different gears in capturing different life stages of endangered <br />fish (razorback suckers). <br /> <br />C. Determine the response of the river fish community (native and nonnative species) following <br />experimentation within the manipulated sites. (Note: separate scopes-of-work were submitted in <br />1996 and 1998 for experimentation within Old Charley. Separate SOW's will be submitted for <br />other manipulated site(s)). <br /> <br />End Product: A Project Completion Repol1 making specific recommendations concerning the <br />operational values of reconnecting floodplain habitats for endangered species recovery. <br /> <br />4 <br />