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Effect of Flow and Ice on Movement and Habitat Use <br />Movement and habitat use by radiotagged adult Colorado squawfish and razorback suckers <br />in both the Green River and Yampa River were substantially influenced by river flows and ice <br />conditions. Flow was higher in both rivers in Winter 1 than in Winter 2, but the main difference in <br />winter conditions between the two rivers was daily fluctuations and unstable ice on the Green River, <br />and relatively steady flows and stable ice on the Yampa River. The effect of flow magnitude and flow <br />fluctuation, combined with ice conditions, is the focus of the ensuing discussion. <br />Average activity rate of nine Colorado squawfish in the Green River under nonfluctuating <br />(<5 cm/hr stage change), ice-free conditions, was 23.0 m/hr (n=15, SD=22.3), while average rate of <br />seven fish exposed to fluctuations (>5 cm/hr) was significantly greater (student's t=1.84, p>0.90) at <br />66.9 m/hr.(n=7, SD=63.1). This suggests that daily flow fluctuations of the Green River increased <br />activity rates of adult Colorado squawfish by 190 percent. Valdez and Masslich (1989) interpreted <br />these results to mean that changes in flow stage violated microhabitat needs, by forcing fish to find <br />deeper water during low flow, or lower velocity during high flow. This study also showed that adult <br />Colorado squawfish were more active during highest rates in flow stage change, and more sedentary <br />during relatively stable flows, at high (4,000 cfs, 113 cros) and low (1,500 cfs, 42 cros) flow magnitude. <br />Ice also affected movement and habitat use of adult Colorado squawfish in the Green River. <br />Solid surface ice, frazil ice, and jam ice, each had variable effects. Fish observed under solid surface <br />ice in 1987-88 behaved similar to fish in ice-free, nonfluctuating flows, with respect to local movement <br />and activity rate. Local movement of fish under solid ice was typically within a 50 m diameter area, <br />between two to eight closely-spaced favorite spots. Although unconsolidated frazil ice did not appear <br />to alter normal activity, frazil ice trapped beneath solid surface ice, or mixed with jam ice, appeared <br />to force 6sh to leave iced habitats, and restricted movement to ice-free regions. Frazil ice between <br />Chew Bridge and Brush Creek on the Green River, in January and February, 1988, reached a <br />thickness of 3 m beneath a surface ice layer of about 0.5 m, and filled most shorelines and <br />backwaters. The frazil also filled the main channel, through which the river formed ice-free tunnels <br />of flowing water. Radiotagged fish located beneath the ice were found exclusively in these open- <br />water channels, and did not appear to swim through the frazil mass. Jam ice had an immediate effect <br />on fish movement and habitat use by physically displacing fish from its path. Daily fluctuations on <br />the Green River in Winter 2 prevented surface ice from thickening and stabilizing, and resulted in <br />frequent ice jams between Echo Park and the Bonanza Bridge. Valdez and Masslich (1989) <br />30 <br />