7621

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7621
• Author: Woodling, J.
• Title: Colorado's Little Fish
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: A Guide to the Minnows and Other Lesser Known Fishes in the State of Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

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Kansas the Smoky Hill River contained
several species of fish which are either
rare or not found in Colorado. There is no
record of permanently standing water in
either pools or streams in Colorado. Con-
sequently, there are no records of fish in
the Smoky Hill River of Colorado.
The Republican River also headwaters
on the eastern edge of Colorado. Surfac-
ing springs, fed by the Ogallala aquifer,
maintain year-round flows in many of the
basin streams. Cancalosi (1980) reported
there were fourteen species of fish native
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to the Republican River Basin.
The fish fauna of the South Platte River
.in Colorado is diverse in terms of Col-
orado rivers with 38 species reported as
native to the state, though the actual
number may be closer to 29 (Propst
1982). Misidentifications and taxonomic
reclassification are thought to account for
the difference. The South Platte drains the
northeast portion of Colorado. Like the
Arkansas, the South Platte originates in
the mountains then flows out of the hills
and across the arid plains to Nebraska.
Few permanently flowing tributaries enter
the South Platte in the plains area of the
state. Most are dry with only potholes
holding water year-round. Most per-
manently flowing tributaries enter the
Platte in the foothills area of the drainage.
There has been little study of the fishes
of the North Platte River. The headwaters
of this river system are in the North Park
portion of Colorado on the northern
border of the state. Propst (1982) recorded
the presence of nine species in the
drainage.
3 Colorado's Little Fish
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