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Catch Rate versus Flow <br />One objective (no. 4) was to determine if there was a "threshold low flow" <br />that would trigger Colorado squawfish and other large native fishes to leave the <br />reach and move downstream into the Colorado River where more water was available <br />and habitat conditions appear more suitable. This would be important because if <br />a strong correlation between flow and number of fish collected in the plunge pool <br />and reach existed, this would provide pivotal information for recommending a <br />minimum flow for passage. If detecting biological responses during planned low <br />test flows became difficult because sufficient numbers of Colorado squawfish <br />could not be collected, determining if there was a relationship between <br />individual and collective catch rates of native fishes versus flow might provide <br />useful information for when conditions in the reach became unsuitable for <br />sustaining fish life. A low catch rate associated with flows below the threshold <br />would indicate unsuitable conditions. <br />Three different ranges of flows were analyzed for fish collected in the <br />plunge pool (89-1,000, 89-2,000, and 89-13,900 cfs) and 2.2-mile reach (217- <br />1,000, 217-2,000, and 217-13,900 cfs). There was no apparent relationship <br />between total CPUE versus flow for the four native fishes or three nonnative <br />fishes collected in the plunge pool or reach (Figures 3, 4, and 5). Catch rate <br />was highest for Colorado squawfish in the plunge pool during July 1994 at 650 <br />cfs. Although the correlation coefficient ("r") was highest at flows less than <br />2,000 cfs during 1994 and 1995 for Colorado squawfish collected in the plunge <br />pool (-0.62; Appendix; Table E.1.), the relationship indicated that the Colorado <br />squawfish catch rate generally decreased with an increase in flow. Relationship <br />between CPUE and flow was poor for Colorado squawfish collected in the reach at <br />all flows analyzed (Appendix; Table E.2. and Figure E.3.). The highest <br />relationship for flannelmouth sucker collected from the plunge pool (r=-0.74) and <br />reach (r=-0.54) was between 217-1,000 cfs. However, in both instances, catch <br />rate decreased as flow increased (Appendix; Tables E.1. and E.2.). For nonnative <br />fishes, there was no distinguishable pattern of a positive or negative <br />relationship between catch rate and flow. The relationship of total CPUE for <br />native and nonnative fishes versus the different range of flows analyzed by <br />sampling date in 1994 and 1995 is provided (Appendix; Tables E.1. and E.2.; <br />Figures E.1.-E.5.). <br />These analyses did not offer any clear associations or identify threshold <br />low flows when fish might vacate the reach and move downstream where more <br />suitable habitat conditions existed. These results indicate that comparability <br />of CPUE data can be highly variable even at similar flows. While high Colorado <br />squawfish catch rates during low flows may be due to their being more vulnerable <br />to capture, the high number of adult Colorado squawfish found in the reach during <br />late-July and early-August 1994 does indicate that this reach provides temporary, <br />seasonal habitat for "residency" at 300 cfs. There were only four sampling dates <br />in 1995 when flows were less than 1,000 cfs. Flows between 100 and 600 cfs are <br />needed to determine when endangered and other native use this reach and when fish <br />might leave this reach because habitat conditions are unsuitable. <br />16