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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />are included as a stipulation in the oplnlon. In addition, <br />construction of the White River Dam could reduce the importance of <br />the White River to Colorado squawfish by limiting the range of the <br />Colorado squawfish in the White River. <br /> <br />Prioritv 2lbl <br />Colorado River 15 Mile Reach (RM 170-185) <br /> <br />1. Biological Significance of the Reach <br /> <br />Colorado Souawfish - Field studies conducted over the past several years <br />document the use of the IS-mile reach by Colorado squawfish for several <br />different purposes (year-round adult habitat, spawning, larval <br />drift/development). Kaeding and Osmondson (1987) reported that an appreciable <br />number of the adult Colorado squawfish that reside in the Grand Valley area of <br />the Colorado River utilize the IS-mile reach, indicating that the IS-mile <br />reach is an important part of the home range of Colorado squawfish that reside <br />in the this area. In 1984, the Biology Subcommittee identified RM 170-180 as a <br />"suspected spawning area" for Colorado squawfish - only one of two such areas <br />on the main stem Colorado. This determination was based primarily on the <br />observation of an apparent spawning aggregation and the subsequent capture of <br />larval Colorado squawfish in the IS-mile reach during the summer of 1982. <br />Recent studies have failed to document any further direct evidence of spawning <br />or recruitment in the IS-mile reach. Therefore, it is believed that the <br />primary importance of the reach to Colorado squawfish is as adult habitat. <br /> <br />The Colorado River Fishes Recovery Team has identified the Colorado River from <br />lake Powell to Palisade, which includes the IS-mile reach, as one of the <br />essential habitat areas that must be protected before the Colorado squawfish <br />should be considered eligible for delisting. <br /> <br />Humpback Chub - No humpback chubs are known to occur in the IS-mile reach. <br /> <br />Razorback sucker - One of the two confirmed razorback spawning areas in the <br />Upper Basin occurs at RM 179 of the Colorado River near Clifton, Colorado. <br />(As is the case throughout the basin, spawning activity in the IS-mile reach <br />has not resulted in any apparent razorback recruitment). This same area also <br />contains the only adult razorback concentration area on the Colorado River, <br />according to criteria developed by the Biology Subcommittee of the Upper <br />Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee (1984). These conclusions are <br />consistent with recent observations by Kaeding and Osmondson (1987) who <br />reported the capture of ripe razorbacks during the 1986 field season in the <br />IS-mile reach. Radiotelemetry studies conducted by Kaeding and Osmondson <br />(1987) also suggest that the IS-mile reach is an important part of the home <br />range of the razorback sucker that reside in the Grand Valley area of the <br />Colorado River. <br /> <br />Bonvtail Chub - No bony tail chub are known to occur in the I5-mile reach and <br />the reach is not a priority reach as defined by the Biology Subcommittee. <br /> <br />7 <br />