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<br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ABSTRACT OF THESIS <br />EVALUATION OF COLORADO SQUAWFISH STOCKING <br />IN KENNEY RESERVOIR, RANGELY, COLORADO <br />The ecology and behavior of Colorado squawfish were evaluated <br />relative to a possible squawfish sportfishery in Kenney Reservoir from <br />1988 to 1990 as part of a mitigation program for the construction of <br />Taylor Draw Dam on the White River, Colorado. A total of 96,597 <br />fingerling squawfish were stocked into Kenney Reservoir from 1988 to 1990. <br />These fish quickly dispersed throughout the reservoir, and downstream into <br />the White River. A small number moved upstream in 1990. A large <br />proportion, associated with high discharge following stocking, exited over <br />the spillway, and continued to move downstream. Catch-per-unit-effort <br />(CPUE) rates declined drastically in both the river and the reservoir in <br />1989 and 1990. The rapid and virtual disappearance of squawfish <br />throughout the study area was attributed flow regime, movement patterns, <br />mortality and sampling effectiveness, or a combination of these. <br />Telemetry observations of six adult Colorado squawfish revealed no <br />difference in behavior attributable to wild or hatchery origin. The <br />downstream movement of the squawfish conbined with low mark retention may <br />result in interference with studies of wild squawfish in the Green River. <br />Stocking squawfish in a reservoir does not appear to be an effective <br />iii <br /> <br />