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<br />Colorado squawfish (Plychoche,lus luc/us)
<br />Nonh AlIlt:riCiI's I;HgC'il minnow, Colorialo
<br />~qllilwnsh once grew 10 nearly 0 feet long anti were
<br />C~I\lCU "while s,llllllln" or "Colorado salmon" by
<br />~arly ~r.:ll11.;rs. HislUricillly, (hes!..: voracious prco.:Hms
<br />JOlllinalcu the Colorado River system.
<br />
<br />Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen fexanus)
<br />Razorback sllC.:kcrs ci.ln grow 10 nHBC Iban J feet
<br />and 41re one of the lilrgeS[ slickers in Norlh America.
<br />h.:w if ;lny young r:Jzorbacks are Ie!"! in tile wild.
<br />
<br />Bony tail chub (Gila elegans)
<br />13unYlilil chuhs c[ln grow 10 24 inches or mon.::
<br />;jIIJ CUll Jive nearly 50 years. Wild bonyluils are
<br />IlcJrly cXlincl.
<br />
<br />Humpback chub (Gila cypha)
<br />TIle pronounced hump hehind lis hctlJ gives lhe
<br />hutnph~ICk chuh a striking, unusual app~<lrance. This
<br />minllow C<11l grow 10 nearly 20 inches (Jntl may
<br />surviv~ more lhal1 30 years.
<br />
<br />~'
<br />: . Ci:l \) COlORADO
<br />, =-./ SOUAWFI5H
<br />
<br />i A ROUNDTAll
<br />~CHUD
<br />"''''''''O'l'",,'.om 0' ~,~
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<br />
<br />,\ngln.. ilia) t"lIl1rll..t.: YlIlllIg ("111111';1(10 ...qllawlhh with
<br />!"lIulldl:lil dlllh.... Tilt.: kt.:y dilh:n:lH:e i... 111;11 the rfllllldl;Jil'..
<br />1I1111l111 C\ll'lul.. juSlllIlhl' fnlllluflhe l'll'. Thc '>lImlt uf the
<br />:'>ljll:n\lhh j:., Illll~er, and ils thick 1"011.11.:1\ lips exlcnt' ill Ihe
<br />n'aruflhcc}"c.
<br />
<br />Tlw ColoraJo River
<br />
<br />Th~ Coloraoo anu its trihulilrics lIli.lkc up Olll: 01"
<br />the world's mosl colorful river syslelll'>, From the
<br />high mountains or Wyoming al\J Colorado, the river
<br />drops more th,lIl two miles ill clCv.llion on ;J. 1,7()()-
<br />mile journey 10 (he Gulf of California. For long
<br />stretches, the river SYSI~1ll is lmllllllcd hy reu canyon
<br />wi.llb. Flows IllH.:luiltc witlcly flOJ1l season In season
<br />and year 10 year. For example, hisloric flows .11
<br />Yu Ill<l , Ariz., rilllged from a few thousand cuhic feet
<br />per second In nearly 400,000, II took wug,h,
<br />;'1(..laplable creatures III survive ill l!lis river syslclll.
<br />
<br />Endangered lish dlslrlbullon map
<br />
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<br />Olll'l' ahundanl ill thc Culllr:ulu m"l'r Ua..in, Ihl...l' li..h
<br />1l1lW arc ('uund unty in ....CI-t,lill 1Itll.titlll... C11' ~C1IllC ..hc!"';.
<br />
<br />Release them alive
<br />
<br />If you calch ;,my rl~h you ennnol identify, please
<br />retllrn ilta the Willer alive. If possible, It.:ilvc the fish
<br />in the w,l1er while gently removing the hook. On not
<br />squeeze Ihe fish or put your fingers in ils gills. If lhe
<br />houk is deeply embc:t1ded, cut lhe line insle<lu of
<br />pulling oul the hook. Hold the !ish facing upstream
<br />ant.! slowly move it forw;lru ilnd back in the watcr.
<br />Then release the fish in qllicl WOller.
<br />If the fish is wgged, pkilse report the tag number
<br />and colnr 10 Ihe Colorado Divi,ion of Wildlife, om)
<br />248-7175, or Ulilh Divi,...ion or Wilt.lJilc Resources,
<br />(801) 538-4700, rine, lip to $100.000 arc possible
<br />for willfully deslroying cndangt.:red fish.
<br />
<br />Why are these fish endangered?
<br />\~-~i
<br />
<br />
<br />Water
<br />development
<br />Dam.., ilnd
<br />ciJn;lls have
<br />heen COll-
<br />.... I rue I l.: U
<br />througl1nlll
<br />lh~ Colorado
<br />RivLr rLlsin
<br />to provIde
<br />Willer for power, illigalioll .md public waleT SUpplii'::-'
<br />These w.ller projecls have restriLled the lish 10 ;thOUI
<br />25 pCICCIH of their range, blocked Sllm!.: "'p,lwlIlllg
<br />migr~ltion rGules and cooletl lhe waler illlJ1lcLii:llely
<br />downstream of the dams. Also, many of Ihe rivcr...'
<br />hb<Jckw<uers" needed by young fish have disilppcan:L1.
<br />
<br />
<br />Non-native
<br />fish
<br />Spar( a"d
<br />b<.li( flsh have
<br />been intro-
<br />duced into
<br />rivers, Inkcs
<br />and reser-
<br />voirs. Non-
<br />native fish
<br />compete with nalive fi!'h for food and space and lllilY
<br />prey on the eggs :md young of ent.l.mgered \ish. The 14
<br />native Colorat.lo River fish now have 10 COl11pCl~ with
<br />more than 40 non-nalive species.
<br />Rainbow, brown and ClIlthroal trout are slill
<br />stocked in higher elcv.ltions of the Colorauo RivL'r
<br />and its tributaries. Trout prefer coluer walers and .lIe
<br />not considered competitors wilh cnt.langcrcd fi....h.
<br />
<br />Other factors
<br />Some nJtive fish may be killed iil'Clde/11ally hy
<br />anglers. And in the mitl-1960s, the chc.:micill rolenon~
<br />was used. in porlions or the upper Colorildo River
<br />Basin la reduce native fish numbers anti mak~ way for
<br />non-native sport !ish. BUl researchers helieve II1IS hall
<br />no lasting effect on n<ltivc fish POpuli.llions.
<br />Glher possible problems include pollut"lon and
<br />pnmsilcs, and among chubs, hyhridiziltion.
<br />
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