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survival of Colorado squawfish stocked in gravel-pit ponds near Grand <br />Junction, Colorado, demonstrated that growth rate in a pond environment <br />(warm water; abundant forage fish) can be twice that of fish in either river <br />or hatchery environments (Osmundson 1987). Rearing squawfish in ponds that <br />contain self-sustaining forage fish may be significantly more cost efficient <br />than traditional, labor-intensive, raceway or pond fish culture, which rely <br />on the use of artificial feeds. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br />r <br />1 <br /> <br />The genetic integrity of wild subpopulations of Colorado squawfish will best <br />be maintained by stocking fish that are progeny of locally captured, wild <br />squawfish. In 1986, FW5 began a three-year project to develop techniques <br />for spawning locally caught Colorado squawfish and for rearing their young <br />in gravel-pit ponds. This work is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation. <br />Previous pond-rearing investigations indicated that growth of Colorado <br />squawfish is variable, depending largely on season of stocking and <br />availability of appropriate-size foods, and that survival varies greatly <br />among ponds and years and can be very low. The causes of mortality are not <br />yet clear, however. Important goals of the current investigations are to <br />identify these mortality factors and to develop ways to lessen this <br />mortality. <br />Methods <br />In May 1986, two rearing ponds were selected and leased from local <br />landowners. These former gravel pits are located between Grand Junction and <br />Fruita, Colorado. Fish Chalet Pond is 1.62 ha and West Pond is 1.34 ha; <br />both have a maximum depth of 3.2 m. West Pond was devoid of fish, whereas <br />Fish Chalet, a pond used during the previous 1983-85 studies, contained <br />common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). To <br />31 <br />