9304

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9304
• Author: Mueller, G., L. Boobar, R. Wydoski and K. Comella.
• Title: Aquatic Survey of the Lower Escalante River, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah; June 22-26, 1998.
• USFW Year: 1998.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

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There wasn't any surface flow from Fence Canyon, however, the canyon had several small pools
that are entrenched in the bedrock. It appears small springs maintain these pools year-round.
One pool, approximately 1 m deep, 4 m wide and 10m long was sampled by seine and trammel
net. Twenty fish were captured. Green sunfish (45%) were the most numerous, followed by
fathead minnow (40%) and juvenile suckers (15%).

Table 2.2. Historical record of fish species collected or observed in the Escalante River, Utah.
Common Name Scientific Name Holden & Irvine -- McAda et. al - 1998
(1975) (1977)
X X
X X
X X
X X
X X
X X
X X
X X

Flannelrnouth Sucker (Catostomus latipinnis)

Bluehead Sucker
Roundtail Chub
Speckled Dace
Red Shiner
Fathead Minnow
Carp
Channel Catfish
Yellow Bullhead
Striped Bass
Largemouth Bass
Green Sunfish
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Cuttthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Trout hybrids

(Pantosteus discobolus)
(Gila robusta)
(Rhinichthys osculus)
(Cyprinella lutrensis)
(Pimephales promelas)
(Cyprinius carpio)
(Ictalurus punctatus)
(Ictalurus natalis)
(Morone saxatilis)
(Micropterus salmoides)
(Lepomis cyanellus)
(Salmo trutta)
(Salmo gairdneri)
(Salmo clarki)
(Salvelinus fontinalis)

X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X*
X*

X
X

*Not previously reported

The reach downstream of Fool's canyon was predominately exotic (89%). A total of 197 fish
were captured. Red shiner made up 86% ofthe catch followed by flannelrnouth sucker (9%),
speckled dace (2%), and miscellaneous others (3%) which included two new species: a l72mm
yellow bullhead and a 600mm striped bass (Figure 2.1).

Sampling Gear--Sampling techniques were quite selective for some species and sizes of fish
(Figures 2.2 & 2.3). For instance nearly all (85%) the roundtail chub were collected by fyke net.
The fyke net also targeted larger suckers (> 10 cm) and while its mesh size was relatively small
(6 mm), few small fish (speckled dace or red shiners) were collected by the fyke net. This
would suggest smaller fish might have been concentrated along shoreline (fringe) habitats rather
than mid-stream. This contention is also supported by the fact that smaller fish were captured by
the minnow traps and the seine along shore.

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