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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival and performance of <br />pond-reared, radiotagged adult razorback sucker following stocking in the Upper <br />Colorado and Gunnison rivers. Specific objectives were to determine movement, <br />distribution, dispersal patterns, and habitat use of fish stocked in the river. <br />Twenty radio-implanted razorback sucker were stocked in historical habitat in the <br />Upper Colorado River between Debeque and Rifle, Colorado, and 21 were stocked in <br />the Gunnison River near Delta, Colorado, in April 1994. An additional four adult <br />radiotagged razorback sucker were stocked in the Gunnison River in September <br />1995. <br />Stocked razorback sucker dispersed predominantly downstream following <br />release in both rivers. In the Upper Colorado River the mean maximum <br />displacement for the 20 fish was four times greater downstream than upstream <br />(19.3 versus 4.8 miles). Ninety-six individual radio contacts were made <br />periodically with 19 fish between 13 April 1994 and 11 August 1995. Radio <br />contact ranged from 10 to 491 days. Five fish were contacted over a period of <br />400 days. Only nine radio contacts were made with three different fish during <br />1995. Eight fish exhibited both up- and downstream movement sometime during the <br />contact period, only three fish exhibited greater upstream than downstream <br />movement. Eleven fish exhibited only downstream movement. Three fish passed <br />over the Government Hi ghl i ne Diversion and Price Stubb dams, and the Grand Valley <br />Irrigation Diversion. One of these fish was later contacted in "Hotspot Pond" <br />in the '15-Mile Reach'. At the end of the study, three fish moved back upstream <br />near the point of release. <br />Other than the three fish that moved back upstream near the point of <br />release in the Upper Colorado River, movement patterns were similar for razorback <br />sucker stocked in the Gunnison River. A total of 195 individual radio contacts <br />was made periodically with 23 fish between 12 April 1994 and 1 November 1995. <br />Radio contact ranged from 29 to 532 days. Eleven fish were monitored for 113 to <br />146 days; only one fish was contacted over 150 days. Of the thirteen radio <br />contacts during 1995, eight were from two fish released 13 September 1995. The <br />five other radio contacts were from one fish stocked in 1994. The mean maximum <br />displacement for the 23 fish was nine times greater downstream than upstream <br />(14.3 versus 1.6 miles). Six fish exhibited both up- and downstream movement <br />sometime during the contact period; only one fish exhibited greater upstream than <br />downstream movement (13.0 vs 7.9 miles). Fourteen fish moved entirely <br />downstream. <br />Post-stocking survival was less than anticipated in both river systems. <br />At the termination of the study, in the Upper Colorado River, 3 fish were <br />confirmed alive, 10 were missing, 2 were confirmed dead, and 5 were presumed <br />dead. Confirmed mortality was 10%. Actual mortality was likely as high as 85% <br />if missing and presumed dead fish were included. For fish stocked in the <br />Gunni son Ri ver duri ng 1994 and 1995, 3 fi sh were confi rmed al i ve, 3 were mi ssi ng, <br />2 were confirmed dead, and 17 were presumed dead. Confirmed mortality was 8%; <br />actual mortality might have been as high as 88% if missing and presumed dead fish <br />were included. <br />vii