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DRAFT
<br />A small reproducing population of Colorado squawfish exists in the San Juan
<br />River. A single juvenile squawfish was captured in the San Juan River just
<br />below the confluence of McElmo Creek near Aneth, Utah, in 1.978 (Minckley and
<br />Carothers-1980; VTN 1978). Platania summarized captures of squawfish in New
<br />Mexico and Utah from 1987 to 1989. Eight adults and 19 young-of-the-year were
<br />captured (two additional adults were observed but not captured). Except for
<br />one adult captured in the San Juan arm of Lake Powell, the adults were
<br />captured in the San Juan River between River Mile (RM) 89 near Bluff, Utah,
<br />and RM 163 near Shiprock, New_Mexico. in 1987, 18 young-of-the-year were
<br />collected from the San Juan River. Two were collected downstream of Shiprock,
<br />New Mexico (Plantania 1990), six near Bluff, Utah, and 10 in the Lake Powell
<br />inflow area. A young-of-the-year captured in 1988, also was taken from this
<br />inflow area. In 1990, another young-of-the-year was collected near Bluff, Utah
<br />(Bill Bates, Utah Division of Wildlife, pers. comm.).
<br />In the Lower Colorado River Basin (Lower Basin), Miller and- Lowe (1964), and
<br />Minckley and Deacon (1968) considered Colorado squawfish extirpated from the
<br />Gila River system, and Minckley (1973, 1919) ]ater expanded this to include
<br />all Arizona waters except above Glen Canyon Dam in Lake Powell. No Colorado
<br />squawfish (other than stocked fish) have been taken from the Gila River basin
<br />since 1950 (Miller 1961);_ a 1958 record of this species from the Salt River,
<br />Arizona (Branson et al. 1966), was based on misidentified roundtail chub, Gila
<br />robusta (R.R. Miller pers. comm. to W.L. Minckley). The last-adult squawfish
<br />from the mainstem lower Colorado River was taken by a fisherman in 1967 in
<br />Lake Mohave (Minckley and Deacon 1968).
<br />Although natural populations of the species were extirpated from the Lower
<br />Basin, hatchery-reared Colorado squawfish have been introduced in several
<br />locations. More than 96,000 fingerling and 442 larger Colorado squawfish,
<br />355-405 mm (14-16 in.) total length [TL], were introduced at six locations on
<br />the Salt and Verde rivers, Arizona, in 1985 (Brooks 1986). Seven of-the
<br />larger squawfish were captured in experimental trammel nets within 10 days
<br />after stocking, and five more fish of the larger size group were captured
<br />about 5 months after stocking. In 1987, 31,750 fingerling Colorado squawfish
<br />from Dexter National Fish Hatchery were stocked at two sites in the-Salt River
<br />drainage (including 6,750 into Canyon Creek) and 100 Colorado squawfish were
<br />stocked into the Verde River. Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists
<br />recaptured three in Canyon Creek, and one in the Salt River. In 1988, Dexter
<br />National Fish Hatchery personnel stocked 24,000 fingerlings into the Salt
<br />River, 18,000 into Canyon Creek, and 89,303 into the Verde River. Bubbling
<br />Ponds State Fish Hatchery personnel stocked 120,604 fingerlings into the Verde
<br />River and 1,194 into Sycamore Creek, a tributary to the Verde River. In 1988,
<br />57 Colorado squawfish were recaptured on Verde River, and six from the Salt
<br />River. Recaptures during both years included fish which had been at large for
<br />3 months to 1 year (Dean Hendrickson, Arizona Game & Fish, pers. comm.).
<br />Colorado squawfish stockings continue in the Salt and Verde rivers, and
<br />expansion of the program is planned.
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