Studies in 1998 will focus on examining the fish community of the Escalante River. This drainage has only been surveyed once before and that was in 1973. With the establishment in 1997 of the Escalante Steps National Recreation Area efforts are being made to develop baseline information regarding the ecosystems and species found in this area. The effort will be a cooperative venture with local, state, and federal agencies. In many areas of these streams and interfaces, basic inventories have not been conducted or have not been updated in recent years.
Preliminary information suggests native fish populations within the park are in decline.
This research is aimed at conducting the necessary field surveys and agency coordination to assess if this drainage supports unique endemic aquatic communities or determine what shifts in community structure have occurred during the past 2 decades. Fish survey of San Juan inflow area of Lake Powell, March 13-28, 1995. 15 pages plus Addendum. National Biological Service, Denver, Colorado. Karp, C., and G. Mueller.