7617

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7617
• Author: Platania, S. P. and K. R. Bestgen.
• Title: Survey of the Fishes of the Lower San Juan River, New Mexico.
• USFW Year: 1987.
• USFW - Doc Type: Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• Copyright Material: NO

RECOMMENDATIONS
The 1987 San Juan River fishes inventory demonstrated that
Colorado squawfish at least occasionally inhabit and spawn in the
New Mexico portion of the river. In addition, roundtail chub was
collected at several localities within the New Mexico reach of
the San Juan River. Based on the results of the 1987 inventory,
our most important recommendation is to continue inventory work
on the San Juan River for at least two more field seasons. We
believe the maximum that can be interpreted from the 1987 data is
that Colorado squawfish and roundtail chub occur and periodically
reproduce in the San Juan River of New Mexico. Additional
inventory will permit more accurate delimitation of that portion
of the river inhabited by Colorado squawfish and other rare
fishes. Capture of target species will yield insights on use
patterns (macro-and microhabitat) in relation to flow regimes,
enable more precise location of potential spawning grounds and
nursery habitats, and permit an estimate of target species
population size in the San Juan River in New Mexico.
If recommendations for additional inventory are accepted, we
believe the sampling regime or protocol should be modified for
applicability to the San Juan River to improve efficiency and
maximize data collection. To achieve this, the following
recommendations are made.
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