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Contents Page Introduction .................................................................................................................................. ................................ I The Lower Colorado River ..... ......... .... .... ........ ........ ............. ..... ............ ............. ............. ........................ ........... ......... 2 Discovery and Exploration (1539-1875) ..............................................................................................................2 Adventurers and Scientists .................................................................................................................................... 6 .~.. What They Found. ............ ............. ....... ............... ........ ..... ... ....... ..... ..... ................................................................. 8 Major Tributaries....................................................................................................................... .......................... 13 Settlement and Change.............................................................................................................................. ................. 14 Ranching, Mining, and the Steamboat Era (1852-1900) ................................................................................... 14 Urbanization and Population Growth ................................................................................................................. 17 Water Development: Diversions and Dams (1900-2001) ......................................................................................... 18 Agricultural Diversions............................................................................................................................... ........ 18 Water Law .......................................................................................................................................... ................. 22 Dams........................................................................................................................................... ................................ 23 Salt and Verde River Dams ................................................................................................................................. 23 Lower Colorado River Dams .......... .................. ............. ..... ................. ........ ............. .......... .................. .......... .... 25 "Other" Tributary Dams.......................................................................................................................... ............ 28 The Lower River Today ............................................................................................................................................. 29 Water Management .............. ......... ............. ..... .... ... ..... ..... ... .............. ............. ............................. ... ................. .... 29 Conditions on the Lower Colorado River Today ................................................................................................ 29 Tributaries .............................................................................................................................. ............................. 37 Fish ..... ........................ .......... ............................... ........... ......... .................................... ......... .............. ...... .................. 37 The Native Fish Community (Pre-I 880) ............................................................................................................ 37 The Mainstem Fish .... ......... ..... ............ ........... .... ....... ......... ...... ... ....... ......... ........... .......... ....... .... .............. ....... ... ....... 42 Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus Abbott) ................................................................................................. 42 Flannelmouth Sucker (Catostomus latipinnis Baird and Girard) .......................................................................43 Bony tail (Gila elegans Baird and Girard) ........................................................................................................... 43 Humpback Chub (Gila cypha Miller) ................................................................................................................. 44 Roundtail Chub (Gila robusta Baird and Girard) ............................................................................................... 44 Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius Girard) ........................................................................................ 44 Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius Baird and Girard) ............................................................................... 45 Sonoran Topminnow [Poeciliopsis occidentalis (Baird and Girard)] ................................................................ 46 Woundfin (Plagopterus argentissimus Cope) ..................................................................................................... 46 Machete (Elops affinis Regan) .. ....... ....... ...... ..... ........... ..... ........................;.. ........ .............. ... .... ........... .............. 46 Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus) ................................................\...................................................... 47 Loss of the Native Fish Community .......................................................................................................................... 50 The 1890 to 1935 Decline ................................................................................................................................... 51 Nonnative Fish Introductions..................................................................................................................... ......... 54 The 1935 to 2000 Disappearance ........................................................................................................................55 The Fish Community Today .......................................................................................................................................61 Sport Fishery ....... ................. ............................................. ..... ....................... ......... ............ .................. .......... ..... 61 Native Fish Community .............. ..... ........ .............. ......... .... ... ..... ............ ..... ...... ....................... ...... .................... ... ..... 62 Razorback Sucker ........ ..... .... ......... .............. .............. ... ,.... ..... .................. ...... ............... ...... ........ ...... .................. 62 Flannelmouth Sucker ................................................................................................................................. ......... 63 Bony tail ............................................................................................................................... ................................ 63 Humpback Chub.. ...... ...... ...... ....... ...... ........ ......... .......... ..... ..... ....... ....... .... ................... ........ ............. .... .... .......... 63 Roundtail Chub ............... .................................................. .................... ........ ................. ..................................... 63 Colorado Pikeminnow... ..... ......... ........ .... ........ ......... ....... .............. ............. .................... .... ......................... ........ 64 Desert Pupfish ........................................................................................................ ............................................. 64 iii