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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br />In lieu of the traditional "Results and Discussion" section, a separate chapter was devoted <br />to discussing field data collected from 1996-2001 related to each of the objectives previously <br />identified. A separate section was devoted to annual stockings of razorback sucker. <br />Stocking of Razorback Sucker <br />Rationale and Strategy <br />Initially, three different length groups (100-, 200-, 300-mm) of razorback sucker were to <br />be stocked in this study. In some instances, fish smaller than 100 mm were PIT tagged and <br />stocked (e.g., the fall 1995 stocking). Likewise, fish larger than 300 mm were stocked (e.g., <br />excess broodfish and Wahweap-reared fish). Furthermore, it simply was not realistic to expect to <br />produce enough fish of identical length within each of these three size categories because of the <br />variable growth that occurred among rearing locations and within environments (e.g., grow-out <br />ponds) and family lots. Therefore, many of the harvested fish that were eventually stocked <br />overlapped in length among these three length groups. <br />Producing and eventually stocking an equal number of razorback sucker among family lots <br />within year classes was not always feasible. Whenever possible, an equal number of razorback <br />sucker from each family produced from a year-class was stocked. Additionally, when possible, a <br />50:50 ratio (e.g, equal number) from each family lot was stocked in the Upper Colorado River <br />and Gunnison River. <br />The small-fish group was the smallest fish that could be safely PIT tagged; the large-fish <br />group reflected the largest fish that could be expected to be produced in one year. The different <br />size classes were believed to allow for an assessment of whether survival was related to fish size. <br />A ratio was used to divide fish into size groups equally among family lots based on the <br />assumption that small fish would exhibit higher mortality. To produce the three groups for <br />stocking, a 75:20:5 ratio was used. Biologists believed that these ratios allocated captive-reared <br />fish based on the expectation of survival in the wild, and it was believed that they represented <br />reasonable estimates. It was further assumed that smaller fish would not be expected to survive <br />as well as larger fish and they would be more difficult to collect during followup monitoring <br />efforts. The projected number of razorback sucker needed to evaluate the relation between <br />survival and size at release by size group and river location for 1996-2000 was developed from <br />this ratio (Table 1). Initially, it was acknowledged that the size classes and number projected <br />13