7818

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7818
• Author: Stalnaker, C. B. and P. B. Holden
• Title: Changes In Native Fish Distribution In The Green River System, Utah-Colorado
• USFW Year: 1973
• USFW - Doc Type: Utah Academy Proceedings
• Copyright Material: YES

30'

UTAH ACADEMY PROCEEDINGS, VOL. SO, PART 1,1973

Humpback chub
This species is one of the rarest of all the Colorado basin endemics and
is known to exist in only limited areas. Included ,are the canyon areas of
the Yampa and Green rivers in Dinmaur National Monument and Desola-
tion Canyon.
Humpback sucker .
This species is still found in limited numoers in the Yampa and Green
rivers. However, primarily only large adult specimens have been taken
indicating that reproductive success is minimal througho~t the entire
upper basin. Humpback sucker abundance appears to have d~creas~d con-
,siderably in the twentieth century.

Conclusions

Trout have replaced the native species in the upper Greerl River down
to the confluence of thc Yampa.
Four species, the humpback chub, Colorado squawfish, bpnytail chub
and the humpback sucker, are presently rare and may be endangered. Only
three areas in the upper Colorado River system presently appear to be"
ecologically suitable for maintaining reproducing populations of these
large-river endemic fish species. These are the Yampa River ,which is the
major hibutary of the Green Rivcr, the Green and Colorado rivers in the
Canyonlands section of sou'thcastern Utah, and Desolation C~nyon of the
middle Green River.

Acknowledgements

Personnel of the U.S. National Park Scrvice at Dinosaur Nattional Monu-
ment, Canyonlands National Park and Grand Canyon National Park, the
Colorado Division of Game, Fish and Parks, the New MexicQ Department
of Fish and Game, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources willingly
supplied information and assistance and specimens.
This research was under the direction of the Utah CoopeIlative Fishery
. Unit, which is a joint venture of the Utah State Division oe Wildlife Re-
SOUrt':S, Utah State University, and the Bareau of Sport Fisheries and
. Wildlife.

References

'Banks, Joe L. J 964. Fish species distribution in Dinosaur National Manu-
. ment during 1961-62. M.S. thesis, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins.

Binns, Alan. J'l6S. Effects of rotenone treatment on the fauna of the
Green River, Wyoming. M.S. thesis, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

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