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crops (Haines and Tyus, in review). No evidence of resource partitioning <br />between young Colorado squawfish and these fishes was detected when fish <br />densities were contrasted against backwater depth, temperature, size, or <br />substrates; however, the abundance of most species was weakly correlated with <br />the presence of Colorado squawfish (Haines and Tyus, in review). <br />Effects of competition and predation by introduced fishes on growth and <br />survival of young Colorado squawfish has yet to be adequately assessed, but <br />the common use of backwater habitats and foods by young Colorado squawfish and <br />other small introduced fish species (Jacobi and Jacobi 1982; McAda and Tyus. <br />1984; Muth et al ., in prep) suggests a potential for interspecific <br />interactions. Karp and Tyus (1990) suggested that growth and survival of young <br />Colorado squawfish may be adversely affected by the aggressive behavior of <br />introduced green sun-fish, Leaomis cYanellus, red shiner, Kotropis lutrensis, <br />and fathead minnow, Pimevhales promelas. This may be most acute when increases <br />or decreases in river level reduces the availability of quality backwater <br />habitat and causes resource limitation. <br />There is some indication that abundance of non-native fishes may be <br />adversely affected by periods of high flow, whereas native species appear to <br />be little impacted (Haynes and Muth 1984; Minckley and Meffe 1987; T. Kesler, <br />written communication). However, the hypothesis that native Colorado Rive r <br />fishes exhibit greater tolerance to extreme flooding has not been adequately <br />tested. In the Green River, abundance of most fishes in backwaters was lowest <br />in years of high spring and summer flows (Haines and Tyus, in review). <br />Backwater nursery habitats were influenced by inundation and <br />resuspension of organic material from shorelines during increased flows, and <br />this energy source was important for standing crops of fish food organism s <br />(Grabowski and Hiebert 1989). Backwaters in the Ouray area, where young <br />Colorado squawfish were most abundant, were richer in food than upstream areas <br />studied. Reduced water-level fluctuations in-that area resulted in more stable <br />backwater habitat, and possibly reduced the export of nutrients and food <br />{Grabowski and Hiebert 1989). <br />Juveniles <br />Little is known about the habitat requirements of juvenile Colorado <br />squawfish, but they have been captured in a variety of habitats including <br />backwaters, shorelines, and flooded bottomlands. Although rare, juvenile <br />Colorado squawfish are most abundant in the lower Green River (Tyus et al. <br />1987), and downstream drift of larvae suggests that along-distance upstream <br />movement by juveniles is needed to repopulate upstream areas. Such movement <br />probably occurs during-the late juvenile or early adult stage, because only <br />large-sized fish are found in the upper Yampa River, and the highest <br />concentration of juveniles is found in the lower Green river (Tyus 1986; Tyus <br />et al. 1987). <br />Evidence of predation by non-native fishes in both artificial and natural <br />environments suggests that this factor may impact the survival of juvenile <br />Colorado squawfish. Hendrickson and Brooks (1987) noted predation by yellow <br />bullhead, Ameiurus natalis, and largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, on <br />young Colorado .squawfish stocked into the Verde River, Arizona. Osmundson <br />(1987) noted predation by largemouth bass, green sunfish, black crappie, L. - <br />nigromaculatus, and black bullhead, A. melas, on young Colorado squawfish in <br />gravel pits near the Colorado River and indicated that predation, by channel.: <br />20 <br />