Public Comment. Volume III - Montana Legislature

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Impact Analysis Studies and Proposed Mitigation Approach Page 4
Table 1 (cont.).
Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
Fish Species
Walleye 16,695,174 15,477,669 27,667,916 33,135,282 35,138,544
Northern pike 74 1,300 7 12,200 617,320 339,234
Largemouth bass 179,279 401,182 196,676 246,940 29 1,255
Smallmouth bass 101,791 175,260 127,133 152,100 79,555
Chinook salmon 6 1,425 64 J 15 72,000
Year 1995 1996 1997 ,1998 1999
Fish Soecies
Northern pike 200,000 540,000 1,23 1,800 9,000
Largemouth bass 1 10,075 9,865 124.300 73,902 134,272
Smallmouth bass 38,984 94,475 . 63,000 122,976 88.960
Chinook salmon 17,500 40,647 1 18,200 26,070
Table 1 shows that walleye comprise the bulk of the production at MCFH. Although
most walleye are stocked out at the fj stage, MCFH also produces significant numbers
of fingerlings, generally defined as fish fiom 1 to 3 inches long, and advanced
fingerlings from year to year. Fingerlings require considerably more resources and care
to rear, but their survival can be much higher than fry once stocked (Piper et al. 1982).
MCFH rears some species fiom post-hatching stages to a variety of stockable sizes.
Northern pike, tiger muskie, and channel catfish are sometimes raised to 8 inches or
larger before stocking, but the number of fish, age, and size at stocking may vary fiom
year to year depending upon fisheries managers' needs.
Both small and largemouth bass are raised at MCFH in the earthen ponds on site. Since
the bass spawn in the ponds, production success is defined as the number of fry produced
per breeding pair. The earthen ponds approximate a more natural setting and can be much
more difficult to manage and maintain.
3.0 Proposed Baseline and Vibration Studies
MT DFWP proposes on-site, pre-construction studies conducted by a third party, as
described in 3.1.2 Impact Studies, to hrther quantifL production by species and to
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1.14.mad
EQC Eminent Domain Study -225-