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<br />A small reproducing population of Colorado squawfish exists in the San Juan
<br />River. A single juvenile squawfish was captured in the San Juan River just
<br />below the confluence of McElmo Creek near Aneth, Utah, in 1978 (Minckley and
<br />Carothers 1980; VTN 1978). Platania et al. (1991) summarized captures of
<br />squawfish in New Mexico and Utah from 1987 to 19890 Eight adults and nineteen
<br />young-of-the-year were captured (two additional adults were observed but not
<br />captured). Except for one adult captured in the San Juan arm of Lake Powell,
<br />the adults were captured in the San Juan River between River Mile (RM) 89 near
<br />Bluff, Utah, and RM 163 near Shiprock, New Mexico. In 1987, 18 young-of-the-
<br />year were collected from the San Juan River. Two were collected downstream of
<br />Shiprock, New Mexico (Platania et al. 1991), six near Bluff, Utah, and ten in
<br />the Lake Powell inflow area. Ayoung-of-the-year captured in 1988, also was
<br />' taken from this inflow area. In 1990, another young-of-the-year was collected
<br />near Bluff, Utah (Bill Bates, Utah Division of Wildlife, pers. comm. 1990).
<br />In the Lower Colorado River Basin (Lower Basin), Miller and Lowe (1964), and
<br />Minckley and Deacon (1968) considered Colorado squawfish extirpated from the
<br />Gila River system, and Minckley (1973, 1979) later expanded this to include
<br />all Arizona waters except above Glen Canyon Dam in Lake Powell. No Colorado
<br />squawfish (other than stocked fish} have been taken from the Gila River basin
<br />since 1950 (Miller 1961); a 1958 record of this species from the Salt River,
<br />Arizona (Branson et al. 1966), was based on misidentified roundtail chub (Gila
<br />' robusta) (R.R. Miller pers. comm. to W.L. Minckley). The last adult squawfish
<br />from the mainstem lower Colorado River was taken by a fisherman in 1967 in
<br />Lake Mohave (Minckley and Deacon 1968).
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<br />Although natural populations of the species were extirpated from the Lower
<br />Basin, hatchery-reared Colorado squawfish have been introduced in several
<br />locations. More than 96,000 fingerling and 442 larger Colorado squawfish,
<br />355-405 mm (14-16 in.) total length (TL), were introduced at six locations on
<br />the Salt and Verde Rivers, Arizona, in 1985 (Brooks 1986). Seven of the
<br />larger squawfish were captured in experimental trammel nets within 10 days
<br />after stocking, and five more fish of the larger size group were captured
<br />about 5 months after stocking. In 1987, 31,750 fingerling Colorado squawfish
<br />from Dexter National Fish Hatchery were stocked at two sites in the Salt River
<br />drainage (including 6,750 into Canyon Creek) and 100 Colorado squawfish were
<br />stocked into the Verde River. Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists
<br />recaptured three in Canyon Creek, and one in the Salt River. In 1988, Dexter
<br />National Fish Hatchery personnel stocked 20,000 fingerlings into the Salt
<br />River, 18,000 into Canyon Creek, and 89,303 into the Verde River. Bubbling
<br />Ponds State Fish Hatchery personnel stocked 120,604 fingerlings into the Verde
<br />River and 1,194 into Sycamore Creek, a tributary to the Verde River. In 1988,
<br />57 Colorado squawfish were recaptured on Verde River, and six from the Salt
<br />River. Recaptures during both years included fish which had been at large for
<br />3 months to 1 year (Dean Hendrickson, Arizona Game and Fish, pers. comm.
<br />1990). Colorado squawfish stockings continue in the Salt and Verde Rivers,
<br />and expansion of the, program is planned.
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