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13 <br />Habitat Classification <br />Habitats were classified into 6 geomorphological types, as defined in the appendix (Table A1). <br />~Vlost habitats were associated either with secondary channels (SC) or migratory sandwaves (MS). <br />Other types of habitat such as those associated with horseshoe vortexes (HS) or flooded tributaries <br />(FT) were relatively uncommon. Furthermore, the vast majority were. true backwaters rather than <br />isolated pools or azeas with flow, so results were pooled for backwaters. <br />Selectivity analysis of Colorado squawfish use of habitat by geomorphological type revealed a <br />preference for Secondary Channel (SC) habitats. In the Green River NH data, chi-squared analysis <br />showed a clear preference for SC habitats, which was significant for all seasons. Although the same <br />analysis of Colorado River data also showed a preference for SC, it only approached significance for <br />the lower;. section, in fall (Table 7). Colorado squawfish used all the habitats to some extent. In <br />particular, HS habitats were used in a greater proportion than they occurred, particularly in the upper <br />section where they were more frequently encountered. We observed in the field -that juvenile <br />squawfish seemed to preferentially use HS habitats, but too few were collected to provide an analysis. <br />Most other species, particularly the NNC, also used the SC habitats in at least the same proportion <br />by which the habitats occurred. No preference was determined, because NNC were present in almost <br />every habitat. However, densities (catch rates) of NNC in the SC habitats were usually higher than <br />the MS habitats. In any case, the NNC overwhelm squawfish in pure numbers in all habitats. <br />In general, SC habitats were lazger in azea and volume, and deeper on average and by maximum <br />depth than MS habitats, and provided the majority of the available habitat (Table 8). Usually, the <br />average maximum SC temperature was less than MS habitats in low/medium water years, and greater <br />in high water years, but this was not a consistent phenomenon. The amount of SC habitat available <br />was less closely correlated with peak flows and sampling flows than total habitat availability. <br />