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<br />COLORADO RIVER <br />44RIS SCENARIO FOR HUMPBACK CFFUFI <br />(February 1987) - <br />The Colorado River originates in Rocky Mountain National Park on <br />the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado. It flows <br />southwestward for about 479 km (298 mi) to its confluence with the <br />Green River in Utah.(Carlson and Carlson 1982). <br />Mainstem Colorado River flows are reduced by massive water <br />diversions and consumption (Joseph et al. 1977), and historic <br />seasonal flow regimes are altered by diversions and operation of <br />water storage projects within the basin. <br />Water quality problems in the Upper Basin include heavy metal <br />pollution from mine drainage and high salinity (Bishop and Forcella <br />1981). Humpback chub appear to tolerate high levels of total <br />dissolved soilds (TDS) relative to those of the Colorado River <br />(Miller et al. 1982c). <br />Movement of fish upstream in the Colorado River is limited at <br />Palisade by Grand Valley Diversion Dam at km 297.8 (mi 185.1), <br />Price-Stub Dam at km 302.8 (mi 188.2), and Government Highiine Dam <br />at km 311.5 (mi 193.E). These structures probably do not affect <br />humpback chubs since they are far from known populations.., Moreover, <br />humpback chubs rarely migrate; they mostly remain within or near <br />their limited habitats (Archer et a1. 1985). <br />The original range of humpback chub probably included swift, <br />deepwater areas of the Colorado and Green rivers~(USFWS 1979, Flolden <br />and Stalnalter 1975b). Humpback chub populations in the Lower <br />Colorado River may have been eliminated by habitat-loss resulting <br />from construction of dams (I'SF59S lJ7`J). Humpback chub are presently <br />-i- <br />