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<br />Endangered Fish Survey
<br />
<br />1
<br />
<br />Introduction
<br />
<br />Four fish have been designated as endangered in the Upper Colorado River Basin: the
<br />Colorado squawfish, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bonytail chub, These fish are
<br />found nowhere else in the world, and their decline may be an indicator of other native species
<br />at risk, Similar to all endangered populations, the decline of these four species can be
<br />attributed to an array of complex. interactions, First, human population growth has resulted in
<br />increased demand for water, and consequently hundreds of dams and water diversions have
<br />been constructed in the Upper Colorado River Basin for agricultural, municipal, recreational
<br />and other uses, These water projects have blocked fish migration paths, changed water
<br />temperatures and dramatically altered year-round river flow patterns, For example, historically
<br />these waters ran high in spring, when melting snows filled the riverbeds, then leveled off the
<br />rest of the year. Following construction of dams, river flows became more even year-round,
<br />Second, the stocking of non-native fish has lead to competition between native and sport / bait
<br />fish, and to predation of native fish by exotic species (e,g" the red shiner, channel catfish,
<br />northern pike, and fathead minnow), By 1982, 76% of the 55 fish species in the Upper
<br />Colorado River Basin were non-native, "It appears that where non-native fish are introduced
<br />and dominate, native fish disappear" (Rinne & MinckJey, 1991), Third, factors such as
<br />pollution, parasites, fish control efforts and hybridization played a role in the loss of these fish,
<br />
<br />The Recovery Program for the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin is a 15-
<br />year program aimed at re-establishing self-sustaining populations of Colorado squawfish,
<br />humpback chubs, bonytail chubs, and razorback suckers, The states of Colorado, Utah and
<br />Wyoming; U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S, Bureau of Reclamation; Western Area Power
<br />Administration; Upper Basin water users; and various environmental organizations are partners
<br />in the Recovery Program for the Endangered Fish of the Upper Colorado River Basin, This
<br />program is designed to recover the endangered fish while providing for continued water
<br />development and is an attempt to resolve conflicts between water uses (e,g" for municipal,
<br />industrial and agricultural purposes), and recovery of the endangered fish,
<br />
<br />The Information and Education committee of the Recovery Program is interested in gathering
<br />baseline information about certain publics' awareness and attitudes toward these endangered
<br />fish, and the efforts of the Recovery Program, The information collected from this study will,
<br />in part, help the Information and Education Committee evaluate the success of their current
<br />efforts and determine the best approaches to reach target audiences,
<br />
<br />The success of any endangered species recovery program requires both ecological and social
<br />information, Ecological information is necessary to understand the' relationships between a
<br />species and the environment in whict) it is trying to survive, Acquisition of these data may
<br />facilitate strategies designed to restore in-stream flows, improve fish habitat, and reduce
<br />competition from non-native species, Equally important is an understanding of public
<br />sentiment toward the endangered species, This is especially true for endangered fish species,
<br />"For some reason, they [fish] are often considered 'second-class citizens' when compared with
<br />four-legged, furry or feathered beasts..." (Rinne & Minckley, 1991), Social data may aid the
<br />recovery process by highlighting similarities and differences in the publics' beliefs about,
<br />attitudes toward and support for the preservation of endangered fish, This information is useful
<br />in designing educational campaigns intended to raise public awareness regarding the
<br />importance of native fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin, The study presented in this
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