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<br />f <br /> <br />19 <br /> <br />bony tail chub in the low~r Yampa River in 1979, and Service biologists <br />captured .one suspected juvenile in 1987. Preliminary results of a radia- <br />tracking study of adult bony tail chub introduced into the upper Green River in <br />1988 and 1989 indicate that the fish exhibit crepuscular movements and are <br />somewhat quiescent during the day and night (S. Cranney, Utah Division of <br />Wildlife Resources, pers. comm.). <br /> <br />Soawnina <br /> <br />Bony tail chub spawning locations are unknown. Vanicek and Kramer (1969) <br />believed spawning occurred in the Green River between mid-June and early July <br />when water temperatures were near 18 .C. Similar to humpback chub, the <br />optimum temperature far hatching success was reported at 20-21 .C (Hamman <br />1982c and 1985). Hatching success decreased considerably when temperatures <br />varied !10.C. When temperatures are near optimum (20-21 .C) hatching occurs <br />in 4-7 days (Hamman 1982c). <br /> <br />Larval and Juvenile <br /> <br />Little data exist on larval and juvenile bony tail chub in the wild because of <br />their extreme rarity. Vanicek and Kramer (1969) reported mean total lengths <br />of 55, 100, and 158 mm for age-l through age-3 banytail chub from the Green <br />River. Still, like most larval fish, it is presumed that their survival and <br />growth are dependent an law velacity habitats. <br /> <br />Bony tail chub drastically declined in the Echo Park area, presumably due to <br />flow and temperature changes resulting from closure .of Flaming Gorge Dam. A <br />similar pattern was noted in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon <br />Dam (Utah State Department of Fish and Game 1964 and 1969). Although the <br />pre impoundment poisoning of riverine habitat in the upper Green River in 1962 <br />contributed to the decline of the bony tail chub in that system, fish <br />collections in Dinosaur before'and after the poisoning (Binns et al. 1963; <br />Vanicek and Kramer 1969; Vanicek et al. 1970) suggested that the downstream <br />extent of the poison was not the only factor in the dramatic decline of the <br />species from the Echo Park area. Decreased temperatures and changing flow <br />patterns caused by the construction and operation of Flaming Gorge Dam <br />permanently altered the physical environment, and bony tail chub habitats may <br />have been lost. Thus, Flaming Gorge Dam operations also could affect the <br />future of bony tail chub reintroductions and recovery efforts in the Green <br />River system. <br /> <br />RAZORBACK SUCKER <br /> <br />General Status <br /> <br />Historically, razorback suckers were abundant thraughout the Colorado River <br />Basin, primarily in the main stem and the major tributaries from Wyoming to <br />Mexico. At present, the largest concentrations occur in the Green River in <br />the upper basin and Lake Hohave in the lower basin. Fish in reproductive <br />condition also were captured in the Yampa, Colorado, and San Juan Rivers, <br />which suggests the importance of these river systems. Although reproduction <br />in the wild was documented, larvae were seldom captured and may not survive <br />