Laserfiche WebLink
and average was 5.2 miles. The similarity between average total and net <br />movement for the two winters (2.3 and 2.1 miles in year 1; 5.2 and 2.9 miles in <br />year 2) indicates little random movement by the fish outside of their immediate <br />habitat. We conclude from this analysis that the majority of adult razorback <br />suckers in the Green River overwinter within a 1 to 3-mile reach of river. <br />Local movement by these overwintering fish was generally restricted to a <br />specific habitat with little net movement. Under nonfluctuating, ice-free <br />flows, 3 overwintering adult razorback suckers in year 1 moved an average of <br />24.54 m/h, while 8 fish in year 2 moved 30.93 nVh. This movement was usually <br />between favorite spots, which the fish occupied for extended periods of time. <br />This amount of movement is considered normal, and did not differ with habitat <br />types as was seen with Colorado squawfish. We attribute the relatively greater <br />movement during year 2 to lower flow regimes that may have created more <br />marginal conditions in fish habitat. <br />Figure 6 illustrates the local movement of a radiotagged fish monitored in <br />year 1. Razorback sucker OR-3257 occupied three favorite spots, two within the <br />same slow run and one in a nearby slackwater in a sand trough, during a 24-hour <br />period. This fish occupied these spots for periods of 15, 4, and 5 hours. The <br />fish moved a total of 103 m during this time, but ended up only 20 m from its <br />original location. <br />We conclude from these observations that local movement rates of 24 to 31 <br />m/h are normal for overwintering adult razorback suckers. This movement is not <br />continuous, but occurs between favorite spots used by the fish for up to <br />several hours before moving to another spot. Local movement of adult razorback <br />suckers under ice and nonfluctuating flows could not be analyzed because of <br />insufficient sample size. Only 1 radiotagged fish was located in these <br />conditions; movement rate of this fish was 19.71 m/h, in a pattern similar to <br />that of Colorado squawfish. <br />Rahi tai- rlcP <br />No significant differences were found in habitat used by adult Colorado <br />squawfish or razorback suckers among the diurnal, nocturnal, and crepuscular <br />periods. Habitat data were therefore pooled for the respective species. <br />Colorado Squawfish <br />During the first winter of this investigation, the 10 radiotagged Colorado <br />squawfish were observed in four habitat types; runs, slackwaters, eddies, and <br />backwaters. The fish occupied these habitats 43, 39, 12 and 6% of the total <br />observation time, respectively (Figure 7). All of these observations were made <br />during ice-free conditions. <br />The 9 radiotagged fish monitored the second winter, under ice-free <br />conditions, used runs, slackwaters, backwaters, and eddies 64, 29, 5, and 2% of <br />the time, respectively (Figure 7). The same 9 fish monitored under ice- <br />covered conditions during year 2 occupied runs, backwaters, and slackwaters 69, <br />17, and 14% of the time, respectively. Their use of ice-covered backwaters and <br />relatively shallow areas is believed a behavioral response to surface ice as a <br />cover element that may be associated with feeding. <br />40