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} five times that for the Grand Valley as a whole. For the Walker Area, 47 squawfish were caught in a 0.7-rnile section of flooded backwaters and ponds within the larger 2.5 rnile bottomland area. This amounts to 19.6-67.1 fish per mile depending on how much of the reach is included in the calculation. The Walker ponds alone produced 12 times the river average for Colorado squawfish. That portion of the Walker area producing razorbacks and so many squawfish during spring is already owned and protected by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and is not in danger of future diking or development. On the opposite side of the river there are two floodable areas, one above and one below the Division's property that are privately owned. Purchase and protection of these sites would provide a larger and more extensive floodplain corridor that could be managed as one unit. Within the 15-rnile reach, the Hotspot to Island Backwater section is by far the greatest concentration area for endangered fish. Some islands and adjacent floodable ponds within this 1.5 rnile reach have recently been transferred to State Parks ownership and management. A very key parcel within this complex is the Griffith property located on the south side of the main channel. One backwater there produced 30 different squawfish during the 1990-1994 study, the highest catch rate anywhere in the Colorado River with the exception of the Walker ponds. Also, one of the three razorbacks captured in 1988 was found in this backwater. Across the river from the Island Backwater area, the uppermost part of the Hotspot reach, the Griffiths recently installed a series of wing dams or jetties to divert the flow of the river away from their cow pasture. Whether the owners have plans for any other such projects is not known. Conceivably, the islands and bottomland areas on their property could be leased for gravel extraction at some point in the future. Assuming thc Griffiths would be wining sellers, the acquisition of the riverine and bottomland portion of their property would be the best way to prcvent such activities and would fit in neatly with state and federal long-term efforts to preserve and manage this important reach for endangered fish recovery. Contaminants A Level contaminants survey of the Griffith property was conducted by Ken Weston and Kathy Holley on October 25, 1995 (see attached report). This initial survey found no indication of contarninant problems on the property. Water and fish samples were collected by USGS and FWS personnel for contarninant analysis on December 5, 1995. Results from water sample analyses received on February 2, 1996, showed selenium, concentrations ranged from 2 to 30 ug/L. Selenium concentrations in bottom sediments ranged from the west drain that collects water from the irrigated upland area. This drain runs 5