Laserfiche WebLink
backwaters at the Walter Walker Wildlife Area (Stratum 6), two sites across the river from <br />one another in the 15-mile reach (Stratum 7), and Knowles Canyon (Stratum 5). <br />Of those Colorado squawfish initially captured and tagged in the upper reach, 16% were later <br />located > 10 km from the previous capture site. Of these movements, 80% were directed <br />upstream. None of the fish located in the upper reach during the study period were later <br />recaptured in the lower reach. Of those fish tagged in the lower reach, 58% were later located <br />> 10 km from the previous site; 68% of these displacements were directed upstream. Over <br />the five-year period, 44% of movements > 10 km were from the lower reach to the upper <br />reach, and the proportion of these between-reach movements increased each year. Distance <br />moved was inversely related to fish size, i.e., distance moved decreased with increased fish <br />size. Displacement of fish < 550 mm TL averaged 33.6 km; for those > 550 mm TL, average <br />displacement was only 7.5 km. The smallest fish we documented moving from the lower to <br />the upper reach was no longer than 449 nun, and the largest fish was at least 570 mm long. <br />Movement of young adult Colorado squawfish was likely a response to their changing food <br />requirements as they grew and matured. A net shift in abundance to upstream reaches was <br />probably because upstream movements were rewarded with greater food availability. Two <br />lines of evidence supported this hypothesis: 1) Catch rates of roundtail chub (Gila robusta) <br />and bluehead (Catostomus discobolus) and flannelmouth sucker (C latipinnis), likely prey of <br />adult Colorado squawfish, were significantly higher in the upper reach than in the lower reach, <br />and 2) body condition of Colorado squawfish decreased with fish size in the lower reach but <br />increased with fish size in the upper reach. <br />Our results suggest that young Colorado squawfish move more than older ones and that upon <br />arrival to the upper reach they move less. Evidently, older fish establish home feeding ranges <br />in areas they have found to be most productive and have little need for further exploratory <br />movements. The reach upstream of Westwater Canyon evidently provides the best adult <br />feeding opportunities in the upper Colorado River. If reproduction and recruitment rates, <br />currently limiting Colorado squawfish numbers in the Colorado River, can be increased, <br />improved forage availability in existing reaches and passage to historic reaches would help <br />provide for an expanding adult population. <br />B-vi