Laserfiche WebLink
<br />.... <br /> <br />16 <br /> <br />Backwater nursery habitats were influenced by inundation and resuspensian of <br />.organic material from shorelines during increased flaws and ultimately <br />influenced backwater nursery habitats. This energy source was important for <br />standing crops of fish food organisms (Grabowski and Hiebert 1989). <br />Backwaters in the Ouray area, where young Colarado squawfish were most <br />abundant, were richer in faod, than upstream areas studied. Reduced water- <br />level fluctuations in that area resulted in more stable backwater habitats and <br />possibly reduced the export of nutrients and food (Grabowski and Hiebert <br />1989). <br /> <br />Juven il es <br /> <br />Colorado squawfish reach about 74 mm total length by age-2j their greatest <br />growth occurs during their third and fourth years just prior to attaining <br />maturity. Little is known about the habitat requirements of juveniles, but <br />they were captured in a variety .of shoreline habitats including backwaters and <br />flooded bottomlands. Juvenile Colarado squawfish may be more numerous in the <br />lawer Green River (Tyus et al. 1987) because of the downstream drift .of <br />larvae. If so, a long-distance upstream mavement by juveniles is needed ta <br />repopulate upstream areas. Because only large-sized fish are found in the <br />upper Vampa River and the highest concentratian of juveniles .occur in the <br />lower Green River, upstream mavements probably occur during the late juvenile <br />.or early adult stages (Tyus 1986 and 1990; Tyus et a1. 1987). These movements <br />require unrestricted access, which is considered essential ta the species. <br /> <br />HUMPBACK CHUB <br /> <br />General Status <br /> <br />Humpback chub originally inhabited the main stem Colorado River fram what is <br />now Lake Mead to the canyon areas of the Green and Vampa River basins. They <br />were considered less common than other endemic fish of the region but occur in <br />fairly large numbers where reproducing populations exist. The greatest <br />concentrations of humpback chub .occur in the Grand Canyan portion of the <br />Colorado and Little Calorado Rivers and WestwaterjBlackrocks region of the <br />Colorado River. Smaller populations and incidental catches are reported from <br />Vampa River; Desalation, Gray, and Whirlpool Canyons of the Green River; and <br />Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River. The recovery goals for humpback chub <br />established through the Recovery Program are to "maintain or establish and <br />protect five self-sustaining populations, natural habitat, and two refugia." <br /> <br />Adults <br /> <br />Humpback chub occur in several canyon-bound sections of the Green River basin, <br />including the lower portion .of the Little Snake and Vampa Rivers and <br />Whirlpool, Desolation, and Gray Canyons of the Green River (Holden 1978; Tyus <br />et al. 1982a, 1982b, and 1987; Karp and Tyus 1990a; M. Moretti and E. Wick, <br />pers. comm.). Surveys canducted prior to and after closure of flaming Gorge <br />Dam indicated that all three farms of Colorado River chubs were locally common <br />in the Green River. This includes bony tail and roundtail chubs in upper Green <br />River above Ouray, Utah. Humpback chubs occurred in Desolation and Gray <br />Canyons and in the Flaming Gorge basin of the upper Green River (Smith 1960; <br />