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more similar to each other than conspecifics found in other upper basin locations. Their <br />measurement of fin placement described much of the variation in their analyses. Although a <br />suite of measurements were collected from each chub captured, the proper measurement in the <br />field that referenced fin placement was not taken (because these measurements were not defined <br />prior to the initiations of this study). All the juvenile and adult chubs referred to as Gila spp. in <br />Report C displayed humpback tendencies and should probably be treated as a humpback chub <br />from a management perspective. It is the contention of the authors, however, that these fish <br />should be identified as something other than a pure or classic humpback chub. Putative roundtail <br />and humpback chub were often collected in the same trammel net or occupying similar if not the <br />same shoreline habitats while electrofishing (each of these sites is only 0.5 - 1.0 km in length). <br />The Joe Hutch site, at RK 256, is the only location in which "typical" humpback chub were <br />collected with any regularity. During the present study, three chubs with G. elegans tendencies <br />were collected: one at Joe Hutch in 1992 and two at the Coal Creek site (RK 232.8); one in 1994 <br />and 1995. <br />All nine recaptured chubs were collected at their original capture location. Whereas the <br />f ~l sampling program tends to select for sedentary individuals, considerable. electrofishing effort is <br />` '' expended between the intensively sampled areas. The low recapture rate is more likely due to <br />~_ ~~ <br />__ low sampling effort and population dynamics (recruitment /mortality) than fish moving away <br />` ' from previous capture locations. <br />Long term monitoring trammel net catch rates suggest the number of adult sized chubs in <br />Desolation declined as result of the poor recruitment prior to 1993. Catch rates were lowest in <br />1996. Since UDWR sampling began in 1985, juvenile chubs have been collected in 1989, 1990, <br />1994 and 1995 with gaps in the population structure (age 1 and age 2 fish) the other years. In <br />1989, the length frequency analysis indicates the presence of a relatively weak 1988 year class, a <br />stronger 1987 year class, and evidence of strong recruitment from the years prior to 1986. The <br />1993 year class appears to have recruited to a juvenile size in the most substantial numbers since <br />that time. <br />Densities of adult Gila spp. in Deso/Gray canyons are moderate in the context of upper <br />basin populations. In Westwater Canyon, combined Gila spp. average trammel net catch has <br />exceeded 0.8 fish /net hr for the years 1992-1996 -roughly four times-the catch rate recorded in <br />Deso/Gray during the same time. Reported catch rates at Black Rocks on the Colorado River <br />(McAda et al. 1994) also greatly exceed those reported here.. Conversely, Deso/Gray catch rates <br />far exceed those reported for Cataract Canyon; 1985-1988 (Valdez 1990). <br />The Deso/Gray population was apparently rejuvenated in the late 1980's (as determined in <br />UDWR 1989 sampling) with several consecutive pulses of recruitment. This increase in chub <br />numbers follows the extremely high flows of the early to mid-1980's. Since that time <br />recruitment has dwindled and adult catch rates subsequently dropped presumably due to an <br />extended period of low flow (1988 - 1992). Recruitment was documented during this study in. <br />1994 and again in 1995. Preliminary results from sampling in 1997 indicated that the adult <br />population densities are increasing in response to this recent recruitment. Again, a period of <br />moderate to high flows in 1993, 1995 and 1996 appears to coincide with this recruitment. <br />,f <br />~_ <br />xvi. <br />