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0 <br />razorback sucker. These ponds would have all predaceous and undesirable fish <br />removed prior to stocking young razorback sucker. Following treatment of <br />ponds to remove undesirable fish, ponds may be fertilized and inoculated with <br />phytoplankton to increase primary pond productivity. <br />D Some razorback sucker may remain in isolated gravel pits until sexual <br />maturity is reached. However, every attempt will be made to remove these fish <br />prior to sexual maturity. The reason for this is that some of these razorback <br />sucker might naturally spawn producing young razorback sucker. These second <br />generation fish should not be used for future stocking because they would have <br />been produced through 'uncontrolled' matings. <br />9 Where public land is not available, some acquisition or leasing of <br />private land may be necessary to secure these features for habitat <br />development. For example, The Nature Conservancy has acquired bottomlands <br />near Moab, Utah adjacent to the Colorado River for future habitat <br />rehabilitation. The Escalante State Wildlife Area, managed by the CDOW, may <br />be a critical fry rearing area and may be important if razorback sucker are to <br />D be reestablished in the Gunnison River. This area has diverse habitat types: <br />D <br />backwaters, side channels, and oxbows. It may also be possible to coordinate <br />with gravel-extraction companies through their Section 404 permit to have <br />ponds designed to benefit razorback sucker following completion of gravel <br />extraction. <br />Stocking Criteria and Protocol <br />Rearing <br />Progeny artificially propagated from wild razorback sucker broodstock <br />collected from the upper Colorado River would be used for stocking in the <br />27 <br />ID