9372

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9372
• Author: San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program.
• Title: Annual Budget and Work Plan.
• USFW Year: 1999.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

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Adult/Juvenile Fish Community Monitoring
Fiscal Year 1999 Project Proposal

Principal Investigators: Dale Ryden and Frank Pfeifer
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado River Fishery Project
764 Horizon Drive, South Annex A
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506-3946
[phone]
dale [e-mail] frank [e-mail]

Study Area:

The study area for adult/juvenile monitoring extends from river mile (RM) 180.0 (Animas River
confluence) in Farmington, New Mexico, downstream to RM 2.9 (Clay Hills Crossing) just
above Lake Powell in Utah. The entire reach of river from RM 180.0 to RM 2.9 will be
sampled in the fall of every year (probably second to third week in September).

Collections:

All non-native fish collected will be removed from the river. All native fish collected will be
returned live.

Back2l"ound:

Studies performed before 1991 documented a native San Juan River fish fauna of eight species,
including Colorado pikeminnow (previously known as Colorado pikeminnow), razorback sucker,
and roundtail chub and provided baseline information on distribution and abundance of native
and introduced fish species in the San Juan River. Main channel fish community monitoring
studies (known as "adult monitoring") performed from 1991 to 1998 refined this baseline data
and provided data on specific habitat usage by rare fish species. Adult monitoring has proven
to be the most effective tool for monitoring populations of stocked razorback sucker and recently
stocked adult Colorado pikeminnow. In addition adult monitoring has recently captured
numerous stocked, early life stage Colorado pikeminnow. Information gathered during adult
monitoring also aided in the selection of specific sites for detailed hydrologic measurements and
larval drift sampling. Integration of adult monitoring data with data from Colorado pikeminnow
macrohabitat studies, razorback sucker experimental stocking studies, tributary and secondary
channel studies, fish health studies, contaminants studies, habitat mapping studies, and non-native
species interaction studies, helped provide data to make flow recommendations for reoperation
of Navajo Reservoir.

Thirty intensive electrofishing surveys conducted from 1991 to 1998 have expanded our baseline
knowledge on the distribution and abundance of the San Juan River fish community. As of
August 1998 (data are not yet available from the October 1998 adult monitoring trip), nineteen
wild Colorado pikeminnow have been collected and PIT -tagged; 13 of the 19 Colorado

Work Plan FY99.wpd

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Budget and Work Plan FY99