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Salt Lake Tribune - Utah Page3 of 4 01806 a native fish listed as endangered since 1967. Sandbars create back\vaters .....here the fish can grow to maturity. The chubs. which can live up to 30 years and grow to 18 inches in length. have been declimng in recent years - from 8,000 to -l,OOO over a 60-mile strip between Lee's Ferry and where the Colorado hooks up with the Little Colorado Ri\'er. Arizona Fish and Game biologist Bin Persons said the sinking chub populations could be the resuh of lower water levels and higher water temperatures. An Asian parasite or increases in rainbow and brown lroul - which feed on chubs - also could be faclors. Six times. a year for the past two years. biologists have been killing trout in the river to decrease their numbc:rs and studying their stomachs for signs of predatIOn. Michael Yard. a consulting biologist and self-proclaimed "fish :I.appcr." said crews lower electrodes capable of l'mitting 350 volts into the water at night to stun the trout, which then arc scooped up in nets when they pop to the surface. Their stomachs are then tested. Any chubs that get stunned arc returned to the nver. The dead troul are ground up for Icrtilizer and delivered to the Grand Canyon-based Hualapai Tribe. "We don't know yet if the trout arc the source of mortality for the humpback," Yard said. "The results are still oUlstanding," Biologists also arc studying whether the tlood-mduced sandbars will help nurture vegetation for the endangcred southwestern willow tlycatcher. They also lilied habitat sections for the endangcred amber snat! abo\'e the brief high watcr levels to keep them from being washed away during the artilicial t1ood. The habitats will be returned when the water recedcs. (fnothing elsc, said David Bumheart, Norton's deputy chiefofstalT. at least the water release spawned a new cooperati\'e spirit. "There is a lot of science being conduetcd here from diverse interests that \....ill help in making challenging public policy decisions." Bumheart said. Raley was confident that the dTort will payoff. "I've made a lot of mistakes," he said. "This is not one oflhcm." mhll\ne"@'sltrib.com WIIA1' IIAllpr:,NEI),! On No..... 21. the Bureau of Reclamation increased the now of water from Lake Powell into the Colorado Ri\'er by lhe times for 60 hours. The len:l of Lake Powell dropped by Z 112 feet. WilY FLUSII TilE CANYON? The nush should help rebuild shrinkmg Colorado River sandbars. replemsh lish habitat. help the ecosystem and pro....ide backwaters and landmg spots for water lourists. liD\\' DO TIlEY ~IE^SURE SUCCESS? Samples were collected by a dc\'ice lowered into the n\'er to measure partICle http://\l.ww.sltrib.comiutah1ci_2.t75618 11 f29/200.t