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<br />4) Successful reproduction and self-sustaining status will necessitate the presence of <br />adequate distribution and amounts of nursery habitat in flooded bottomlands or <br />backwaters maintained by a natural flow regime and favorably enhanced by nonnative <br />fish control activities. <br /> <br />Further, the following species interactions and recovery actions are assumed/anticipated: <br /> <br />I) Razorback sucker biomass increase above 5 % may cause reduction in biomass of <br />flannelmouth sucker due to more similar low-velocity habitat use and potential <br />competition. <br /> <br />2) Biomass and production of common carp, white sucker and other nonnative species <br />may be reduced by control efforts, therefore reducing competitive pressure upon <br />sympatric native suckers, and perhaps facilitating expansion of razorback sucker <br />beyond the 5 % target biomass. <br /> <br />3) With successful establishment of an adult razorback sucker population, general <br />abundance of other native species may be reduced as a result of some competition. <br /> <br />Reach priorities were based on the following considerations: <br /> <br />1) The Colorado River (Rifle to Debeque) and Gunnison River reaches are higher <br />priority than the Palisade to Stateline reach of the Colorado River due to the higher <br />relative abundance of native fishes in general and native suckers in particular, and the <br />lack of an abundance of large predaceous fish species; suggesting a more favorable <br />environment for survival. <br /> <br />2) Concentrations of selenium that may impact razorback sucker reproduction adversely <br />via survival of larvae appears to be greater in the Gunnison River reach, making the <br />upper Colorado River reach potentially more favorable for reintroduction, and <br />ultimately, successful reproduction and survival of young razorback sucker. <br /> <br />Stocking Plan... Bonytail (Table 2) <br /> <br />Bonytail are considered the second highest priority for stocking, but only due to the <br />high value of expanding the genetic material remaining in the few, viable stocks of razorback <br />sucker left in the wild. Bonytail are functionally extiIpated in the wild and restoration <br />stocking of progeny from the remaining captive stock is the only recourse for re-establishing <br />populations. The source for bonytail to be stocked will be from the captive broodstock <br />currently being held at Dexter National Fish Hatchery. These fish were progeny from 10 <br />artificially-spawned bonytail captured from Lake Mohave (Minckley et al. 1989). No further <br />infusion of new genetic material is anticipated due to the extreme rarity of captures of viable <br />bonytail from anywhere in the basin. Current recovery strategy for this species is to prevent <br />its immediate extinction. Maintenance of the captive broodstock at Dexter National Fish <br /> <br />8 <br />