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<br />In the Juniper Springs reach, two northern pike (630 and 640 mm) spent all <br />or part of October 1986 to March 1987 with four Colorado squawfish (494, 538, <br />544, and 620 mm) in a major backwater at RM 95.7. By late October 1987, one <br />eolorado squawfish (494 mm) left this backwater and moved approximately 3 <br />miles upstream to the river segment near Government Bridge. By late January <br />1988, one of the northern pike (630 rom) also moved out of this same backwater, <br />and moved upstream into the same area. It may be significant that the <br />smallest radio-tagged individual of each species left the backwater habitat <br />earlier than the larger fish. The remaining pike and three Colorado squawfish <br />stayed in the backwater at least until mid~February 1987 when contact with the <br />pike was lost. The squawfish stayed in the backwater through early March <br />1987. <br /> <br />Fish species associations were also observed during sampling of specific <br />habitat types. Among the three species of primary interest, including <br />northern pike, channel catfish, and Colorado squawfish, the relative frequency <br />of capturing ea~h in spring backwater habitat was slightly over 30% (Figure <br />8). The relative frequency of capturing these same species in poo1-eddy- <br />embayment habitat was dominated by northern pike at 50%, and Colorado <br />squawfish at 40%. These results indicate all three species may be found in <br />spring backwater habitat in equal numbers, suggesting this habitat type is <br />important to each species. With the reduction in backwater availability the <br />remainder of the year, northern pike appear most reliant on pool-eddy habitat <br />and channel catfish the least. A competitive exclusion of Colorado squawfish <br />and channel catfish by northern pike in pool-eddy habitat may be inferred, but <br />examination of co-occurrence data for the eight possible combinations of the <br />three species does not support this inference (Table 6). Colorado squawfish <br />and channel catfish, both being adapted to riverine systems, would be able to <br />exploit habitats with higher flows, and would be less restricted to low- <br />velocity pools than northern pike. Sampling in these habitat types comprised <br />22 sampling efforts in spring backwaters and 20 sampling efforts in pool-eddy- <br />embayment habitat. The associations observed indicate Colorado squawfish were <br />found in the presence of northern pike and channel catfish or either gamefish <br />species alone in 41% of the sampling efforts in spring backwaters, and in 50% <br />of the sampling efforts in pool-eddy habitats in the summer and fall. <br /> <br />31 <br />