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Habitat use by channel catfish and northern pike shows similar behavior in the daytime contacts <br />(Figures 64 and 65). Habitat use was almost identical for channel catfish and northern pike in <br />both 1996 and 1997. Northern pike switched from pool to backwater pool instead of being a <br />main channel pool in 1997. <br />Colorado squawfish during daytime hours were found mostly at depths over three feet. <br />Shallower depths were used at night when fish were active (Figure 66). During the night, <br />observations were made on the fish at depths as shallow as 1.2 feet and only a few contacts were <br />deeper than 3.2 feet. The deeper night locations were observed during the 1996 lower flow year. <br />There was also a difference between the velocity characteristics for daytime and nighttime <br />contacts. Daytime contacts show a use of lower velocity habitats. Nighttime contacts show a <br />wider range of velocities extending up to almost two feet per second for bottom velocity (Figure <br />67). Mean column velocity measured at locations where squawfish were observed show that <br />daytime hours contacts ranged from 0 to as high as 2.1 feet per second. Nighttime hours showed <br />a wider scatter from 0 to over 2.5 feet (Figure 68). The fish seem to be more sedentary during <br />the day and the bottom velocity is probably a better indication of the velocity experienced by the <br />fish. During the active portions of the night when the fish is moving across, up, and downstream, <br />the mean column velocity is probably more indicative of velocities experienced by the fish. <br />Habitat use by Colorado squawfish during 1996 and 1997 again show distinct habitat use pattern <br />over the 24 hour time period. Daytime observations showed a distinct use of pool habitat with a <br />smaller percentage time used of run habitat (Figure 69). Of the percent time monitored, almost <br />80% and over 90% of the time in 1996, fish were observed in pool habitat. Nighttime <br />observations for 1997 show a distinct use of run habitat over 50% of the time and nearly 20% of <br />the time monitored a use of riffle habitat (Figure 70). The pool habitat was less used in 1997 at <br />night. In 1996 this habitat had been used almost 90% of the time during the nighttime <br />observations. Again, the activity level even though it was within the pool was more active than <br />the daytime resting mode. <br />Habitat Use Criteria Curves for Use in Modeling Habitat Availability <br />Habitat use criteria were derived from daytime and nighttime depth and velocity observation <br />data. Data collected in 1996 and 1997 were combined to construct the habitat use criteria. The <br />criteria were developed using non-parametric tolerance limits as described in Bovee (1986) and <br />Slauson (1988). These habitat use criteria curves are displayed in Tables 3-5 and Figures 72-74. <br />Observation data show that total depths of less than 3 feet were used infrequently in daytime <br />hours. Nighttime observations showed that the most used depths were in the range of 1.6 feet to <br />4.2 feet. Depths as shallow as 1.2 feet were used at night by Colorado squawfish. <br />Final Report - Colorado squawfish habitat Page 80 <br />Miller Ecological Consultants, Inc. December 17, 1997