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<br />2,800 cubic meters per second (cms) occurred in Cataract Canyon in 1983 <br />and 5,600 cms in 1984. These 2 record water years were followed by 2 <br />nonnal years (1985 and 1986), but peak and base flows remained high <br />because of high soil moisture content. Flows in Cataract Canyon in 1985 <br />peaked in May at about 1,750 cms, while base flows generally remained <br />above 280 cms. In 1986, flows peaked in June at about 1,980 cms, and base <br />flows also remained around 280 cms. Peak flows in May 1987 reached <br />1,130 cms; the peak in 1988 was 790 cms. Base flows approximated 140 cms <br />during these dry years. During the higher water years, water temperatures did <br />not reach 20. C until early June in 1985 and mid-June in 1986. In 1987 and <br />1988, this temperature was recorded by mid-May. <br /> <br />head length divided by caudal peduncle depth (Minckley 1973),. Chubs <br />longer than 175 mm TL were individually photographed on a centimeter grid <br />board and measured afield for (I) total length, (2) fork length, (3) distance <br />between insertions of pectoral and pelvic fins, (4) nuchal depth, (5) minimum <br />caudal peduncle depth, (6) caudal peduncle length, (7) head length, (8) length <br />of dorsal fin base, (9) length of anal fin base, (10) dorsal and anal fin-ray <br />counts, (II) maximum caudal peduncle depth, (12) maximum body depth, <br />and (13) snout length. These measurements were analyzed using principal <br />components analysis (Humphries et al. 1981) and, together with the morpho- <br />logical characters and ratios, were used to distinguish the three species of <br />chubs-Gila cypha, G. elegans, and G. robUSla. Specimens that could not be <br />definitively identified to species were classified as Gila sp. <br /> <br />Methods <br /> <br />Species Composition <br /> <br />Six field trips were conducted annually in 1985 and 1986, eight in 1987, <br />and nine in 1988. Sampling was conducted in every month, except during <br />spring runoff in May-June and during winter in November-February. Access <br />to the study area was by motorized rafts from launch sites at either Potash on <br />the Colorado River or Mineral Bottom on the Green River. The takeout was at <br />Hite Marina on Lake Powell, about 160 km downstream. Launch sites were <br />alternated between the Colorado and Green rivers to systematically sample <br />all five regions. <br />Fish were sampled by a variety of means, including electrofishing, gill <br />nets, trammel nets, seines, minnow traps, hoop nets, larval drift nets, kick <br />screens, and dip nets. Native fish were counted and individually measured, <br />weighed, and released. Nonnative fish were counted and individually mea- <br />sured and weighed (when captured in small numbers) or subsampled for <br />lengths and weights (when captured in large numbers). Catch per unit effort <br />(CPUE) was computed for each species by gear type as number of fish/ I 0 h of <br />electrofishing, number/30 m of gill or trammel netlloo h, number/lOO 1112 <br />seined, or number/to h of minnow traps or hoop nets. Larval drift nets were <br />assessed as number of fish/10m3 of water filtered, and fish captured by kick <br />screens and dip nets were expressed as number captured by effort. All data <br />were recorded on field data sheets using the upper Colorado River basin data <br />base codes and later electronically stored as dBASE 111+ files. <br />Endangered fish longer than 175 mm total length (TL) were marked <br />with serially numbered Carlin dangler tags attached to the musculature at the <br />base of the dorsal fin (Valdez et al. 1981). Humpback chub, roundtail chub, <br />and suspected bony tail were distinguished by field examination of morpho- <br />logical characters and field photographs and measurements used for later <br />examination. Morphological characters were mouth overhang, jaw length, <br />nuchal hump, skull depression, caudal peduncle angle, nuchal scalation, and <br />breast scalation (Douglas et al. 1989). Morphological ratios included <br />dorsal:anal fin-ray count, caudal peduncle length divided by head length, and <br /> <br />Thirty-one species of fish, including 23 nonnative and exotic and 8 <br />native species, were found in the study area from 1985 through 1988 (Table I). <br />All four species of mainstem endangered fishes were captured, including <br />humpback chub, bony tail, Colorado squawfish, and razorback sucker. These <br />four species accounted for fewer than 6% of individuals captured in any given <br />year of the study and about 3% overall. Of the eight native species, six were <br />endemic-humpback chub, bony tail, rouildtail chub, Colorado squawfish, <br />flannel mouth sucker (Caloslomlls lal;p;nn;s), and razorback sucker-and <br />two were native but not endemic-speckled dace (Rhin;chlhys OSCU/IIS) and <br />bluehead sucker (c. discobollls). The eight native species collectively ranged <br />from less than Ito 19% of the total catch by region (Table 2). <br />Numerically, nonnative species made up 95% of the fish encountered in <br />all years combined, while the eight native species made up only 5% (Fig. 2). <br />Five nonnative species-red shiner (Cyprillella llllrensis), sand shiner <br />(Nolropis stramineus), channel catfish (lctalurus punctalus), common carp <br />(Cyprilllls carpio), and fathead minnow {Pimephales promelas)-accounted <br />for 90% of the catch. Red shiners outnumbered all other species in region I <br />(Green River), region 3 (Confluence), region 4 (Cataract Canyon), and region <br />5 (Lake Powell). This species was abundant in shallow, protected areas with <br />silt and sand substrate. Sand shiners were dominant in region 2 (Colorado <br />River), where sand substrate was predominant. <br />Nonnative species accounted for 80 to 99% of the fish caught by region <br />(Table 2). The greatest percentage of nonnative species caught was in region <br />5, where both lacustrine and riverine species were abundant. Species that <br />were present in region 5-but rare or absent in the riverine habitat of regions <br />1-4-included black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaclIlatlls), bluegill (Lepomis <br />macrochirus), small mouth bass (Microplerus dolomieui), threadfin shad <br />(Dorosoma pelellense), walleye (Sti'l.ostedion vitreum), and striped bass. <br />