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20 <br />past 20 mm in size. The lack of recruitment places this species in a <br />precarious situation. Because of its recent listing, there is no formal <br />recovery goal for the razorback sucker. However, the immediate goal is to <br />prevent their extinction in the wild. <br />Adults <br />~, <br />In the Upper Colorado River Basin, adult razorback suckers were captured <br />predominantly from the upper Green River (Mile 176-345) and in the lower <br />13 miles of the Yampa River (Azevedo 1962; Vanicek et al. 1970; Holden and <br />Stalnaker 1975; Seethaler et al. 1979; McAda and Wydoski 1980; Miller et al. <br />1982a; Tyus et al. 1982b; Tyus 1981; Tyus and Karp 1990). Catch-effort <br />estimates suggest that adult razorback suckers are rarer than other native <br />suckers and the endangered Colorado squawfish. <br />Radio-tagged razorback suckers overwintered in the Jensen, Island Park, and <br />Echo Park reaches of Green River (McAda and Wydoski 1980; Valdez and Masslich <br />1989). In winter, razorback suckers used slow runs, slackwaters, eddies, and <br />backwaters in the Green River, where local movements increased with flow <br />fluctuation (Valdez and Masslich 1989). <br />Razorback suckers in breeding condition were captured primarily on several <br />cobble/gravel/sand bars in the lower Yampa and upper Green Rivers (including <br />Echo Park and the reach from Ashley Creek to near the lower boundary of. <br />Dinosaur) but also were collected in flooded shorelines, bottomlands, and <br />tributary mouths (including Old Charley Wash, lower Ashley Creek and Ouchesne <br />River, and Stewart Lake Orain (Tyus and Karp 1990)). From 1987 to 1989 (low <br />and moderate water years), most ripe fish (98 percent) were collected in <br />riffle areas, but during the high water of 1986, 30 percent of all ripe or <br />tuberculate razorback suckers were captured in flooded river bottoms of Old <br />Charley Wash and Stewart Lake Drain. Twelve ripe adults were observed in Old <br />Charley Wash in late May-early June 1986 at flows of about 19,000-20,000 cfs <br />(Tyus and Karp 1990). <br />Minration <br />Razorback suckers exhibited both local and long-distance spring and summer <br />movements (Tyus 1987; Tyus and Karp 1990). Two spawning migrations-were <br />detected with fish movement between lower Yampa and upper Green Rivers and <br />movement between upper Green River and Ouray area (Old Charley Wash and lower <br />Duchesne River (Tyus and Karp 1990)). <br />Soawnina <br />Spawning of razorback suckers occurred during ascending and highest spring <br />peak flows, as indicated by capture of ripe fish (Tyus and Karp 1989 and <br />1990). Ripe fish were captured in main channel habitats at water temperatures <br />of about 14-15 °C (Tyus 1987; Tyus and Karp 1990). However, temperatures <br />averaged 19.6 °C (range 17.5-21 °C) in flooded areas (Old Charley Wash and <br />Stewart Lake Drain) in spring 1986 when ripe razorback suckers were present. <br />Main channel temperatures were colder (mean 15.6 °C, range 15-16.5 °C) at this <br />time, which suggests that razorback suckers may seek warmer habitats in the <br />