8176

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8176
• Author: Cavalli, P. A.
• Title: Fish Community Investigations in the Lower Price River, 1996-1997.
• USFW Year: 1999.
• USFW - Doc Type: Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Copyright Material: NO

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Anecdotal accounts suggest that the Price River historically held large numbers of
Colorado pikeminnow, flannelmouth suckers, bluehead suckers, speckled dace, roundtail chubs,
and possibly razorback suckers. The fish community of the lower Price River was sampled from
April through October in 1996 and 1997. The objectives of the research were ~to determine if any
life stage of endangered fish species currently use the Price River and to determine the
importance of the Price River to the Green River system. Specified objectives of this study
included the following: 1) Determine if endangered fishes (particularly Colorado pikeminnow
and razorback sucker) are present. If adults are present, determine if they spawn in the Price
River; 2) Determine if age-0 endangered fish remain in low-velocity habitats in the Price River
or move downstream into the Green River (e.g., determine if the Price River is used for
spawning); 3) Determine if mainstem adult Colorado pikeminnow use the Price River as a
staging/resting area associated with spawning and determine if drifting age-0 Colorado
pikeminnow from Desolation/Grey Canyons use the lower Price River for nursery habitat; 4)
Determine if the physical, chemical and biological attributes of the Price River are suitable for
the endangered fishes; and, 5) Determine the biological importance of the Price River to the
Green River system.
Sampling was conducted monthly (from April through October) throughout the lower
48.75 miles of the Price River. A pool located at river mile 88.5 was also sampled on one
occasion. A total of 19 juvenile and adult Colorado pikeminnow were captured, and seven other
individuals were observed, but not captured. Two additional Colorado pikeminnow have been
captured since 1995 during sampling conducted for other projects. Sampling conducted during
this project produced large numbers of flannelmouth suckers and bluehead suckers. Speckled
dace were rarely captured, and razorback suckers and roundtail chubs have evidently been
s ecies mcludin red shiners sand shin
p g ~__~ _ _ _ _ . ers, channel
catf sha commontcarp, green sunfish and Utah chubs, have all become established in the Price
River, but most of these species are found in low numbers.
PIT tags and radio telemetry were used to monitor movement patterns of Colorado
pikeminnow. This information showed that several of the Colorado pikeminnow captured in the
Price River moved long distances in short periods of time. Some of the tagged Colorado
pikeminnow moved from the Price River to the Green River, and one individual that was
captured in the Price River had been tagged in the Green River the previous summer. Limited
information was collected on the growth and movement of tagged flannelmouth suckers. Most
flannelmouth suckers were recaptured within a few miles of their initial capture site, but a few
individuals moved several miles, and some suckers were recaptured in the Green River.
Several questions about Colorado pikeminnow use of the Price River still need to be
answered. These questions include whether spawning occurs, whether any fish remain in the
Price River throughout the year or return on an annual basis, whether a fish ladder is needed at
the Farnham diversion, and whether the current flow regime limits the use of the river. In
addition, several projects could reduce flow in the lower Price River, but the potential effects of
such changes on the native fish community and habitat availability in the Price River remain
unknown. These questions will have to be answered in order to fully understand the importance
of the Price River to the Green River system, and to protect the existing fish community.
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