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<br />8 <br /> <br />It is unknown whether tertiary bars similar to those used for Colorado <br />squawfish spawning in Yampa Canyon are available in the 15-mile reach of the <br />Colorado River. . There, significant motion of bed material occurs at near <br />bankfull discharge of 22,000 cfs (Van Steeter 1996). These flaws occur on. <br />average once in 4 years. Van Steeter (1996) concludes that flaws of this <br />magnitude are important because they generally remove fine sediment from the <br />gravel matrix which maintains the invertebrate community and cleans spawning <br />substrate. <br /> <br />Although the location of spawning areas in the Colorado River .is not well <br />defined, the presence of larvae downstream of the Walker Wildlife Area. in <br />the Loma to Black Rocks reach and near the confluence of the Dolores River. <br />demonstrates that spawning does occur. Osmundson and Kaeding (1989 and 1991) <br />reported that water temperatures in the Colorado River were suitable for <br />spawning in the Grand Junction area. In 1986, a year of high runoff, suitable <br />temperatures for spawning (20' C) occurred in the first week of August. In <br />1989, a year of low runoff. the mean temperature reached 20' C during the last <br />week of June. Miller et al. (1982) and Archer et al. (1986) demonstrated that <br />Colorado squawfish often migrate considerable distances to spawn in the Green <br />and Yampa Rivers, and similar movement has been noted in the main stem <br />Colorado River. <br /> <br />Miller et al. (1982) concluded from collections of larvae and young-of-year <br />below known spawning sites that there is a downstream drift of larval Colorado <br />squawfish following hatching. Extensive studies in the Yampa and upper <br />Gree~ Rivers have demonstrated downstream distribution of young Colorado <br />squawfish from known spawning areas (Archer et a1. 1986: Haynes et al. 1985). <br />Miller et al. (1982) also found that young-of-year Colorado squawfish, from <br />late summer through fall, preferred natural backwater areas of zero velocity <br />and less than 1.5-foot depth over a silt substrate. Juvenile Colorado <br />squawfish habitat preferences are similar to that of young-of-year fish, but <br />they appear to be mobile and more tolerant of lotic conditions away from the <br />sheltered backwater environment. <br /> <br />Information on radio-tagged adult Colorado squawfish during fall suggests that <br />fish seek out deepwater areas in the Colorado River (Miller et al. 1982), as <br />do many other riverine species. River pools, runs, and other deep water <br />areas. especially in upstream reaches, are important winter habitats for <br />Colorado squawfish. <br /> <br />Very little information is available on the influence of turbidity on the <br />endangered Colorado River fishes. It is assumed, however. that turbidity is <br />important, particularly as it affects the interaction between introduced <br />