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<br /> <br /> of 206 fish in 1975 to no fish between 1989-1992 (Burdick 1992). <br /> During 1993, three adult razorback suckers were captured in the upper <br /> Colorado River (Pfeifer, 1993, Personal Communication). The razorback <br />¦ sucker has also declined dramatically in the Green River from an <br /> estimated 948 fish (95% confidence interval, 758-1,138) between 1980- <br /> 1988 (Lanigan and Tyus 1989) to an estimated 543 fish (95% confidence <br /> interval, 393-693) in 1991 (T. Modde, 1993, Personal Communication). <br /> 2. Bonvtail. The bonytail was assigned "Priority 2" among the four <br />endangered fishes because this species is nearly extirpated from the <br /> upper basin and the possibility of using upper basin bonytails for <br /> broodstock development is very remote.. Only single specimens are <br /> collected at irregular intervals in the upper basin. Several of the <br /> last confirmed captures of suspected bonytail included a single <br /> specimen from the Black Rocks Canyon in 1984 (Kaeding et al. 1986), <br /> two adults and three juveniles from Cataract Canyon during 1985-1987 <br /> (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a), and one bonytail adult from <br /> the Colorado River about four miles upstream of its confluence with <br /> the Green River in 1993 (F. Pfeifer, 1993, Personal Communication). <br /> d <br />h <br /> among t <br />e <br />The habitat of the bonytail is the most poorly understoo <br /> four endangered fishes. Reintroduction efforts may be in vain if <br /> suitable habitat is no longer available to this species in the upper <br /> basin. Therefore, the ecological requirements of this species should <br /> be determined through restoration stocking in selected river reaches <br /> of the upper basin. <br /> Program protocol has been developed to bring bonytails captured in the <br /> upper basin into captivity for broodstock development. The primary <br />1 reason for this protocol is to preserve the remaining upper basin, <br /> bonytail gene pool. However, biologists in the upper basin realize <br /> that the probability of obtaining sufficient wild bonytails for <br /> broodstock development is low. Presently, it appears apparent that <br /> broodstock development for the upper basin will be limited to Lake <br /> Mohave stock from a broodstock that is maintained at the Dexter <br /> National Fish Hatchery and Fish Technology Center in New Mexico. The <br />1 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has the responsibility to develop <br /> a restoration stocking plan for bonytail in Utah waters. The Colorado <br /> Division of Wildlife will develop a similar plan for Colorado waters <br /> in the upper basin. A survey for bonytail will be conducted in Lake <br /> Powell during 1994 using methods developed in the lower basin (E. <br /> Wick, Personal Communication, 1994). If these surveys are successful <br /> in collecting upper basin bonytail, they will be compared with Lake <br /> Mohave stock using appropriate genetic analyses. <br />Dexter is the primary refuge for the bonytail but the species is also <br />maintained in refuges at Palm Lake, at Hassayampa'TNC Preserve near <br />Wickenburg AZ, and at the Golf Course Pond at Arizona State <br />University, Tempe. <br />3. Humpback Chub. The humpback chub was assigned "Priority 3" among the <br />four endangered fishes because the stocks are considered to be stable <br />but may be at catastrophic risk of immediate. Humpback chub stocks <br />are small, localized populations that occupy relatively short, deep <br />canyon reaches of the Colorado, Green, and Yampa rivers. Most <br />15