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Last modified
7/14/2009 5:02:35 PM
Creation date
5/20/2009 10:52:25 AM
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UCREFRP
UCREFRP Catalog Number
9375
Author
Kimball, J. F.
Title
Flow Effects on Humpback Chub (Gila cypha) in Westwater Canyon.
USFW Year
1999.
USFW - Doc Type
Salt Lake City.
Copyright Material
NO
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produced in 1993, although moderately abundant, were only 39.5 mm TL by September 7 and apparently <br />overwintered poorly. Winter flows (November -February) were significantly higher for the 1993 cohort <br />than the other two (Table 17). High spring floods subsequent to a cohort's first overwinter period did <br />not prove detrimental and may have been beneficial to their survival. Based on this limited information, <br />it appears beneficial for the YOY chubs to get as much growth as possible in their first growing season <br />(as was discussed earlier). These preliminary data also suggest that lower winter flows (< 3000 cfs) may <br />prove beneficial. <br />Relative survival of Age 1 to Age 2 is presented for each of the cohorts (Figure 12). The 1992 <br />and 1994 cohorts experienced moderate to high winter flows during their second winter period; second <br />winter flows were low for the 1993 cohort. The second spring peak was extremely low for the 1992 <br />cohort, moderate for the 1994 cohort and high for the 1993 cohort. Electrofishing catch rates declined <br />very little for this life history stage suggesting high survival rates once chubs reach 100 mm TL. Valdez _ <br />and Ryel (1995) report an Age 1 to Age 2 survival rates of 0.1 for humpback chub in the Grand Canyon, <br />and an adult survival rate of 0.9. <br />Fall length frequencies of the chubs by species indicate the structure of the adult (identifiable) <br />portion of the humpback and roundtail chub populations remained relatively stable throughout the study <br />(Figures 22 and 23). The roundtails were more numerous throughout these fall samples. A Kolmogorv- <br />Smirnov analysis of these frequency distributions (all years combined) indicated the adult roundtail are <br />significantly smaller animals than the adult humpback adult population (KS stat = 0.23; p=.00). The <br />average length of roundtails collected in Westwater was least in 1992 (236.8 mm) apparently the year of <br />strongest roundtail chub recruitment to the adult population in this five year study. Mean length of <br />roundtails remained remarkably consistent for the remainder of the study hovering near 260 mm TL. <br />Average size of adult humpback chub fluctuated more throughout the study ranging between a low of <br />253.2 mm in 1992 to a high of 287.3 mm in 1995. <br />The annual length frequencies analysis for humpback chub indicate individuals (> 200 mm TL) <br />recruited to the adult population consistently and perhaps best in 1996. <br />Fish Community <br />Gila spp. <br />Native chubs comprise the majority of the main channel and shoreline catch in Westwater <br />Canyon. Humpback chub trammel net catch often exceeded 0.2 fish f net hour, which rivals that reported <br />in the Grand Canyon near the confluence with the Little Colorado River. Combining the adult humpback <br />chub with the coincident roundtail catch reveals densities in Westwater Canyon in excess of 0.4 chubs / <br />net hour. Whereas catch rates (Gila spp. combined) in Desolation Canyon have reached 0.4 fish /net <br />hour, in recent years they have averaged approximately 0.1 (Chart and Lentsch 1998). <br />Early in the study there was concern that there was a shift in Gila spp. composition toward <br />roundtails chubs, particularly in light ofpre-project sampling efforts (Figure 24). In this analysis, shifts <br />in the Gila spp. dynamics become apparent. In the late 1980's, humpback chub outnumbered roundtails <br />at all three sites often by a margin of 2:1 or more. The Miner's Cabin (RK 198.6) catch rates were much <br />higher than the lower two sites with as many as 2.5 humpback collected per hour in 1989, almost four <br />times this project's highest CPE. <br />In 1990, the shift from humpbacks to roundtails was first detected at Miner's Cabin, at the upper <br />terminus of Westwater Canyon. A similar shift was detected two years later at the two lower sites. <br />Several years of low flows preceded 1990 and continued until 1993. It was assumed the shift in Gila <br />spp. abundance was related to that dry cycle. The high flows of 1993 and 1995 appear to have <br />reestablished a balance of these two native species. Earlier in this report two pieces of information were <br />presented that in part explain the mechanism for reproductive isolation of these two native chubs: 1) It <br />appears that during most years roundtail chubs spawned earlier, which supports the findings of USFWS <br />25 <br />
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