7716

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7716
• Author: Nesler, T. P.
• Title: Endangered Fishes
• USFW Year: 1992.
• USFW - Doc Type: Federal Aid Project #SE-3-16 - Job Progress Report.
• Copyright Material: NO

12

Job 7. Title: Razorback sucker inventory above Palisade

None of the four endangered fish species in the Colorado River were collected
in the sample river reach. Four adult razorback sucker were collected from
Highline Lake. These fish were transferred to Dexter National Fish Hatchery in
New Mexico. Few large predatory warmwater fish were collected among the other
fish species collected. Fish species sampled included f1anne1mouth sucker,
bluehead sucker, white sucker, carp, roundtail chub, channel catfish, sma11mouth
bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, and red shiner. Numerous backwater and side
channel areas were encountered in the river reach sampled, and was believed to
represent good potential habitat for endangered Colorado River fish species.
This job is completed.

Job 8. Title: Colorado squawfish sportfishery in Kenney
Reservoir

The objectives and tasks of this job could not be met due to the scarcity of
stocked Colorado squawfish within the study area. A total of 175 man-hours of
sampling in the reservoir and river were expended. In May 1991, a Colorado
squawfish, 285 rom long, was captured on the White River at RK 60.9, 106 km below
the reservoir. This fish had no external marks, and was PIT tagged and released
alive. In July 1991, one Colorado squawfish, 122 mm long, was collected in the
reservoir after 81 man-hours of sampling. This fish died and was shipped frozen
to Fort Collins for analysis of marks, age, and stomach contents. The fish did
retain a yellow fluorescent pigment mark corresponding to the cohort stocked in
September 1990. Fish from this plant ranged in length from 37-172 mm with a mean
of 114 mm. The fish was aged by scales at 2+, and stomach and intestine contents
were composed exclusively of c1adoceran zooplankton. Otoliths were taken from
the fish for future analysis. Tetracycline rings were not evident under black
light examination. Seventy man-hours were spent sampling the White River and all
backwaters present in the study reach were sampled once by seine. Three Colorado
squawfish were captured in one backwater on the White River approximately 1.6 km
above the reservoir at RK 177.9. The lengths of these fish were 112, 164, and
132 rom. The first two of these fish retained a red fluorescent pigment mark
indicating they were stocked in June 1990. Fish from this plant ranged in length
from 51-101 mm with a mean of 73 rom. All three fish were returned alive to the
backwater.

One large backwater near the Utah-Colorado border (at RK 120.8) was
intensively sampled due to numerous captures of stocked Colorado squawfish in the
previous study. On July 12, the mouth was blocked by trammel net and the entire
backwater was sampled by e1ectrofishing. Three seine hauls were also made. This
backwater was again sampled by seining on July 19. No Colorado squawfish were
captured in either effort.

i

From the July 10-11 sampling effort on Kenney Reservoir, 154 net-hours using
six trammel nets and five experimental mesh gill nets overnight resulted in 92
carp, 71 bluehead sucker, 18 roundtail chub, 15 black crappie, 10 white sucker, 9
rainbow trout,S black bullhead, 2 flanne1mouth sucker, and 1 mountain whitefish.
From six hours of e1ectrofishing during an afternoon period, 33 black crappie
(8.6-17.2 rom TL), 21 bluegill (5.9-12.4 mm TL), and three large channel catfish