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National Monument), a result of outwash and scouring from Split Mountain <br />Canyon. Side channels and backwaters were the most common habitats in <br />this reach, but riffle habitat, if found, was at the upper end. The <br />drainage area was dominated by agriculture in the Uintah Basin and by the <br />city of Vernal, Utah. <br />Distribution and relative abundance of all fish species <br />Fish representing nine families and 26 species were collected from <br />the Green River 1979 to 1981. Relative to the Colorado River basin, <br />these included nine native (six endemic) and 17 exotic (introduced) <br />fish species. In addition, five hybrids were collected during this <br />investigation. <br />Red shiner, channel catfish, and carp were the most common and most <br />widely distributed of the introduced species. They were found in all <br />strata and usually were the most common species in collections (Table 7). <br />Carp were slightly less abundant in stratum C than in the other strata, <br />probably a reflection of habitat availability. Channel catfish were <br />collected in fewer numbers from stratum F than the other strata. Red <br />shiner was undoubtedly the most common species in the Green River and <br />abundant in all strata. <br />The fathead minnow and black bullhead are also distributed through- <br />out the study area, but generally occur in fewer numbers than the above <br />mentioned species. However, fathead minnows were considered abundant in <br />strata B and E. <br />Green sunfish and smallmouth bass were found in limited numbers in <br />most strata, but were most common in strata E and F near the mouth of the <br />Duchesne River. Smallmouth bass were stocked in the Duchesne River in <br />the 1960's and have apparently moved downstream into the Green River. <br />The smallmouth bass appear to be reproducing in the Green River since <br />several size classes of fish were collected. <br />Introduced species that were occasionally collected include white <br />sucker, creek chub, redside shiner, sand shiner, Utah chub, northern <br />pike, walleye, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and rainbow trout. Redside <br />shiner and sand shiner were consistently collected only in a few widely <br />scattered locations. Walleye were collected mainly near the mouth of the <br />Duchesne River (they were originally introduced in the Duchesne River <br />system). The remaining species were collected in very low numbers. <br />Several of these species are represented by only one or two individuals. <br />Flannelmouth sucker was the most abundant native fish species <br />collected, followed in abundance by bluehead sucker. Both species were <br />collected in all strata. However, the bluehead sucker was considered <br />rare in strata A and B. The bluehead sucker prefers rubble or gravel <br />substrate and was most common where that substrate was available (C and <br />D). The speckled dace was collected in small numbers in all strata. <br />Mottled sculpin were only collected in the upper portion of stratum F, <br />which appears to be lower limits of its distribution in the main stem <br />Green River. <br />27