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<br />. <br /> <br />34 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />years' data may be needed to raise the reliability of season~l data to <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />the excellent category for juvenile and adult fishes. <br />The question remains whether lack of preferred habitat ~s a <br />limiting factor for the rare fishes. For example, why were fewer juve- <br />nile squawfish caught in the middle portion (Ouray-Sand Wash~ of the <br />study area than at either end? Was it because adequate habitat was not <br />available and the fishes were therefore not present in that river reach, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br />or were fish actually present but just not concentrated because of a <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />lack of preferred habitat? <br />McAda (personal communication, 1977) sampled from Sand Wash to near <br />Green River in June, 1977. He found juvenile squawfish distributed <br />throughout the entire area. The present study sampled the s~me area <br />more intensively in September, but found juveniles only in the lower por- <br />tion. McAda caught most of the young squawfish in the mouths of small <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />backwaters, which he indicated were fairly common. Few such areas were <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />found during the present study in the upper part of Desolati~n, as the <br />water had receded approximately 3 feet by September. In botfu cases, ju- <br />venile density appeared to follow the availability of preferred habitat. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />This same pattern was noted in August in the Jensen+Ouray area. <br />Juvenile squawfish were seldom caught in sections of the riv~r that did <br />not contain adequate habitat, i.e. backwaters of more than a foot in <br />depth. Also, juvenile squawfish were often found in relativ~ly large <br />numbers in some backwaters. On two occasions, five juvenileisquawfish <br />were found in a backwater, and one time three were found. T~is evidence <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />