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<br /> <br />observed spawning in the Yampa River just above the confluence of the <br />Green River, however, larvae are presumed to drift downstream immediately <br />following emergence where they are transported to floodplain habitat in the <br />Green River (Modde et al. 1995, Moddeet al. accepted for publication). <br /> <br />Bonytail <br /> <br />Because of the rarity of bonytail chubs, their distribution and abundance is <br />largely unknown. Fish were fairly common in Echo Park prior to and shortly <br />after the closure of Flaming Gorge Dam (Vanicek 1967). However, few <br />individuals have been collected in the last decade. Holden and Crist (1981) <br />collected one bonytail chub in the lower Yampa River in 1979, and the Fish <br />and Wildlife Service captured a suspected juvenile in 1987. <br /> <br />Spawning Requirements of Endangered Fishes <br /> <br />Colorado squawfish <br /> <br />Two primary Colorado squawfish spawning sites have been identified in the <br />Green River Basin (Tyus and McAda1984, Wick et al. 1983, and Tyus et al. <br />1987), one of which is located between RM 10.5 and RM 18 in the Yampa <br />River. Fish spawning in this area travel both upstream from the Green River <br />and White rivers (Tyus 1985, 1986, and Irving and Modde 1994) as well as <br />downstream from higher in the Yampa River (Tyus 1985). Seven migrating <br />Colorado squawfish traveled over 200 river miles from the White River to the <br />Yampa River spawning site (Irving and Modde 1994). The same fish were <br />observed to make this extended migration in two consecutive years (Irving <br />and Modde 1994). <br /> <br />The initiation of the spawning migration is an important element for the <br />~uccessful reproduction of the Colorado squawfish. Most fish initiated <br />spawning migrations between late May and mid June depending on the <br />magnitude of the water year (Tyus and Karp 1989). Spawning migrations <br />were initiated earlier in low peak flow years (and later in higher peak flow <br />years (Tyus and Karp 1989). Movement to spawning locations was <br />associated with patterns of discharge and temperature (Figure 4, from Tyus <br />and Karp 1989). Fish began moving to spawning sites during the descending <br />limb of the hydrograph and when temperatures reached 140 C. <br /> <br />Timing of spawning, as was spawning migration, was associated more <br />closely with patterns in the hydrograph rather than absolute quantity of flows. <br />Spawning occurred earlier in low flow years and later in higher flow years. <br />Water temperatures during spawning ranged from 14.50 and 27.50 C for all <br />years studied (Tyus and Karp 1989). During the peak spawning period <br />(study years of Tyus and Karp 1989), mean discharge ranged from 893 cfs <br />(1981) to 3,814 cfs (1982). <br />