Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Kansas
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

The purpose of our proposal is to bring together reservoir fisheries researchers and managers across states to co-develop a collaborative, strategic blueprint that will guide future reservoir fisheries conservation actions (research, management, planning, administration). Our proposal addresses a timely priority because reservoirs support biodiversity by providing fish habitat and boost local economies through vital recreational fisheries and other societal benefits. The fisheries profession has made progress on existing reservoir fisheries problems and in using established reservoir fisheries sampling protocols. However, current management approaches are locally-developed and fragmented such that they fail to capitalize on the potential for extensive collaboration that could advance future reservoir fisheries conservation. Furthermore, reservoir fisheries are undergoing abrupt and often unpredictable changes related to climate, invading species, aging, and other anthropogenic impacts for which current reservoir fisheries planning and management are inadequate. To effectively navigate these immediate and future challenges, a broad community of reservoir fisheries professionals can benefit from a regional (multistate) strategic and collaborative action plan, such as what we propose here. Phase 1 (for which funding is requested in 2025) will establish this network of reservoir fisheries specialists. These experts from a range of states will play a role in co-developing the contours of a strategic, proactive 21^st century blueprint and roadmap for future reservoir fisheries conservation. The grant PIs will coordinate this network through the following activities: (a) compiling information on shared immediate and future threats to reservoir fisheries across states, (b) assessing potential outcomes of these present and future threats and effects of a range of remediation strategies, (c) conducting surveys of reservoir fisheries data availability across states, (d) organizing online discussions across state personnel regarding threats, remedies, data syntheses, and strategic planning, (e) orchestrating an online workshop to address, discuss, summarize the above issues, and (f) providing summary documents to map out a blueprint for future multistate reservoir fisheries conservation. Deliverables will include oral and written summaries for each activity. Together our proposal activities will provide the following expected outcome: establish a theory of change that will collectively help all reservoir fisheries professionals prioritize limited time and funding to successfully navigate future change. Many reservoir fisheries experts will be part of the network of participants that we will engage here. As a result, reservoir professionals nationwide will be the intended beneficiaries of the strategic planning and network coordination that will result from our grant. In summary, the co-developed blueprint that will result from our proposal will address existing and emerging challenges and help position reservoir professionals for future success in the face of abrupt environmental and societal change. There are no subrecipient activities associated with the proposed project.