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<br />"t <br /> <br />. J,.;.Y'. .' . '. '. -,,' ,_~~,~.,~::,..,.)".'~;'::,:,~Ji'W~_.:M':&;U":""~~:'-;'~.,;,;;...._.~...._.....:...;,:..._*:.,"._,:.'.; <br />~'(....I,".r'- ~~~"""'I.';"~: ..,-:~~I,~"~' __ ____~:!_______=_....._.___.__._ __-~_ <br /> <br />,'.;:t!.l.:; d...~.;"";'.ir~J~~"",:....:hi.., <br /> <br />i <br />l <br />I <br />l <br />\ <br />i <br />l <br />i <br />i <br />~ <br />t <br />t <br />)i <br />f <br />t <br />( <br /> <br />common in the middlc dry section as well as the lower section. Thi-; <br />species is commonly found in intcrmittant streams and backwaters. <br />lntroduced fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and green sUl1fi~h <br />(Lcpomis cyancllu5) also did not favor this middle section but \vere <br />most abundant in the lower and upper sections. <br />Collection of the sand shincr ir! thc Dolores represents the first pub- <br />lished record for this species in the upper Colorado basin. It was also <br />found to be common in the adjoining Colorado River. <br />The movement of rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout into IO',\"f~r <br />Yampa Canyon occurs when temperatures are cool enough for their <br />survival. They presumably move in from thc Green River and perhaps <br />down the Yampa. <br />The introduced redside shiner \vas abundant throughout the Yampa <br />study area. A cool watcr species, the Yampa provides ideal habitat for <br />this species. The walleye (Stizosledian vitreum), largcmouth bass and <br />bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) collected were undoubtedly wander- <br />ers from some of the small reservoirs on the upper Green HiveI' sys- <br />tem. Four walleye, one largemouth bass and one bluegill were taken <br />il! the four years of the study. The abundance of the other species is <br />typical for a river the size of the Yampa in the upper Grpcn Hiver basin. <br />The Little Snake Ri~er appears to be a typical small, shallow, sandy <br />tributary and docs not contain the large river forms. J l is important to <br />lippeI' Colorado basin rare and endangered species for ifs part in main- <br />l'lilling flows, thus keeping the Yampa a fairly natural bl'ge river, per- <br />haps the most natural large river environment left in the Colorado <br />I' <br />".hlll. <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />I f <br /> <br />! <br />t <br />f- <br /> <br />I <br />f <br />t <br />r <br />i <br />f <br />i <br />f <br /> <br />I' <br /> <br />r- <br />1 CONCLUSIONS. From the staEdpoint of preservation of rarc and <br />t "lIdilllgered fish species, the Dolores HiveI' system appears to have liltle <br />:q"lrtance. This is primarily lJC'cilusP the upper Colorado Ri\'(~r ('/1- <br />:.IIIl-wrcd species are large river forms and the Dolores HiveI' docsn '! <br />., lthis category. Also it should be noted that this system is far frolll <br />~J <br />" " natural state due to irrigation uses and its record of rathC'r sew'!"p <br />~ <br />1 .,lIl1tion. It is doubtful the river has supported Colorado squawfisb. <br />i :lIl1phack chubs, bony tail chubs or humphack suckers recentl~-. TI1\' <br />1 ':q.tl!"lance of the Dolores Hiver to native fishes lies primarily ill it:; <br />'; . .1"\llial capacity to provide the main Colorado HiveI' with watC'r l1ow~ <br />t- <br />i ,I maintain a natural large rin~r envirolll11ent. It is not now provid- <br />4 .~ 'lIeh natural flows and nw~' therefore be considered neutral to the <br />1 "'I'\'ation of native fishes aud possibly evell detrimcntal. <br />, I ill' Yampa HiveI' is n'ry important to the prC'serYaliou of r;I!"(' an.1 <br />'.I/Ig('red fishes in the Colorado bilsin primarily because all tlJ('s~ <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />,I. <br /> <br />\ <br />(, <br />, <br />t <br />, <br />) <br />.. <br />. <br /> <br />4.11 <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />~.....__ __ ~.~~""",,~o~~~.,,~,-,.-, '., ~,,- ,_,_,"",,__w.~,.,-,__,,____"_, ,_.~,_..... ..... <br />