Guidance Documents: Continued Support to Improve Operations of Fish Hatcheries and Field Sites to Reduce the Impact or Prevent Establishment of New Zealand Mudsnails and Other Invasive Mollusks

The Cooperator Science Series was initiated in 2013. Its purpose is to facilitate the archiving and retrieval of research project reports resulting primarily from investigations supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), particularly the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The online format was selected to provide immediate access to science reports for FWS, state and tribal management agencies, the conservation community, and the public at large. The objectives of this report for the SARP-GCP LCC Instream Flow Project are twofold. First, the flow-ecology hypotheses presented in this document are intended to serve as examples for the region. They are conceptual in nature and supported by scientific studies and best professional judgment. They are intended to explain the ecological implications of alterations to the natural flow regime in the GCP LCC region. More quantitative flow-ecology relationships will be required to determine standards and best management practices. The second objective, therefore, is to provide a basis for testing flow-ecology hypotheses using existing hydrologic and aquatic data in the region. Existing data from state agencies, academic research groups, and others in the region will be used to substantiate and quantify these relationships (For more information about these resources, go to the SIFN page of the SARP) - Flow Alteration; Ecological Response; Gulf Coast;