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<br />. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />,- <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />.. . <br />~._.....~--~~~.._---,.__. <br /> <br />'-~--'--e <br /> <br />~ <br />i <br />1 <br /> <br />found in Flaming Gorge Reservoir basin (McDonald and Dotson, <br />1960). Mountain whitefish and humpback clmhs were also reported <br />taken from the reservoir basin in 1959 (Gaufio.. Smith, and Dotson, <br />1960). <br />The collection of humpback chubs in the study area in pre-impound- <br />ment years has not been substantiated. Azevedo (unpublished fishery <br />management report, Bureau Sport Fisheries aad Wildlife) reported <br />taking two specimens in Split Mountain Canyun on July 23, 1962. <br />Closer examination of these fish by Utah Cooperative Fishery Unit <br />personnel, however, indicated that they were the bonytail fonn of the <br />Colorado chub. Hagen and Banks (1963) reported collecting two hump- <br />back chubs in Echo Park in October 1961, and ooe specimen at Echo <br />Park on September 17, 1962. In an earlier report, however, Hagen <br />(1962) stated that the identification of the two 1961 fish as humpback <br />chubs was not positive though both had prominenahumps and enlarged <br />fins. Banks (1964) included the 1961 and 1962 collections cited above <br />in his thesis, which (for the purpose of the present study) was used <br />as the latest and presumably most accurate analysis of the earlier <br />reports. Apparently subsequent examination revealed that none of the <br />three specimens were humpback chubs because]lanks (1964) did not <br />include this species in his lists for the same collections in which they <br />had appeared as cited by Hagen (1962) and Hagen and Banks (1963). <br /> <br />,I <br />1 <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />DISCUSSION. A valid comparison between pre- and post-impound- <br />ment fish populations is difficult since post-impoundment sampling <br />efforts were much more intensive than the p~impoundment efforts. <br />In general, species composition in Flaming GoIge Reservoir basin <br />prior to impoundment was very similar to that in Dinosaur National <br />Monument in both pre- and post-impoundment collections. Though <br />few pre-impoundment collections were made from the damsite to <br />Browns Park (26 miles), we made the assumption that the species <br />composition in this area before impoundment was similar to that <br />reported in the reservoir basin before 1963. If this assumption is cor- <br />rect, the most notable changes in species composition is this stretch <br />of river after impoundment have been the disappearance of Colorado .. <br />squawfish, Colorado chub, humpback chub, and hllmpback sucker, and <br />the appearance of rainbow trout. Species composition in the river from <br />Browns Park to Echo Park has been altered to a lesser degree, but <br />composition of fish populations is still considerably different from those <br />present at Echo Park. <br />Fish species composition has not changed in the Green River down- <br />stream from its confluence with the Yampa. All native species known <br /> <br />311 <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />'--~---"--'_.-'----:'---'-'''-'-''~'' <br /> <br />~~4~ '_:_"_"';'~~_"'"'""__'__~_"'"":"__~.____' ~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />____...--r<_........,..._,___+__~~~,_' _,~ ~..._':-"_ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />"" <br /> <br />~-,--_ .........-.00 <br />