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30 <br />The dominant fishes collected during 1977 by Prewitt et al. (1978) in <br />the White River in Colorado were flannelmouth suckers (71%), mountain white- <br />fish (11%), bluehead suckers (8%), and roundtail chubs (6%), all native <br />species (Table 2). <br />In the Utah portion of the White River endemic fish were found to be <br />more abundant than exotics at all 6 upper stations during 1974-75; only at <br />the 2 stations in the lowest section of the river were exotics more abundant <br />(Crosby, 1975). By 1978 native fishes dominated the fish fauna at only 3 <br />stations in the upper Utah portion of the White River and exotic fish dominated <br />the fauna at one station in the upper part of the White River and all middle <br />and lower stations. <br />From these studies it is evident that exotic fish have replaced endemic <br />species in the lower section of the White River, Utah and are becoming more <br />numerous upstream as well. This pattern of endemic fish displacement has <br />occurredin several other western rivers and streams (McAda et al., 1977; <br />Holden and Irvine, 1975; Deacon and Bradley, 1972; Cross, 1976). McAda et al. <br />(1977) noted that in the San Rafael River the displacement of native by exotic <br />species was probably due to the difference of habitat between the upper and <br />lower sections of the river. The White River fish fauna may also have been <br />influenced by habitat. The river can be partitioned into three habitat types. <br />From the Utah-Colorado State border to .5 mi (.9 km) above Ignatio (Fig.7),the river <br />was a combination of shallow ( <1 m) rapids composed of small rubble and <br />deep rapids containing large boulders. The river was often restricted by <br />high canyon walls which resulted in few large backwater areas. Occasionally, <br />side channels split off from the main channel and where the two rejoined, pools <br />were formed. Numerous small deep pools along the banks and behind debris <br />were also present. The middle section of the White River, from Ignatio to <br />Atches Wash (Figure 13), had a wide diversity of habitat which varied from