WSP11446

• File Number: 8220.112.I
• Description: Dallas Creek Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 10/1/1979
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Endangered Species Assessment: Dallas Creek Project Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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poor because of limited access due to private land ownership.

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Uncompahgre River-- Colona to Ouray: Z5 stream miles composed of

approximately 60% riffles and 40'1'. pools, with a bottom ranging from Cine

rubble to boulders (over lZ"). Rough fish comprise an enormous

percentage of the fish population in the river (Stations I, Z, 5 and 6). If the

data in Table 35 are expanded, we find 10 to ZO brown trout, 0 to 10 native

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trout, 50 to 865 suckers, 10 to 50 eagle sculpins, and various numbers of

hatchery rainbow trout per river mile in the project area.

Rainbow trout

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have been stocked yearly, but stocking maybe discontinued in the river d..e <<
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to very poor returns of the catchable- sized fish. It is felt that the brown ~~

trout found in the river are not endemic to the river, but rather have
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immigrated to the Uncompahgre River from the Gunnison River by way-of t~t
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canal.

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.In general, the Uncompahgre River is considered to be, a very poor fish!.:'
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for several reasons. The extremely erosive nature of the watershed resuU/
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private owner ship, which restricts public access.

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in extreme siltation and water turbidity much of the year; the river has beerle~,
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channelized in many areas destroying aquatic habitat; irrigation dewaters ~
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the river which limits habitat; and virtually all land bordering the river is ir~.

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THREA TENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES

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The Colorado Wildlife Commission has designated eleven species of

fish as threatened and endangered (Appendix B). Three of these species:

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Greenback cttthroat trout, humpback chub, and Colorado-River squawfish

are also listed in the "United States List of Endangered Fauna-May, 1974"

published by the U. S. Department of the Interior.
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