8080

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8080
• Author: Beard, J. M.
• Title: Pond Removal and Stocking Procedures of Razorback Suckers
• USFW Year: 1988a.
• Copyright Material: NO

level was dropped. The bottom strand was weighted down with short sections of
pipe to keep the device near the pond bottom. The A.V.R.D. was pulled through
the water until the amount of aquatic vegetation removed was determined to be
negligible enough to effect fish seining. Note that not all aquatic
vegetation will be able to be removed from the pond.
Fish Seining
A variety of large and small seines should be selected to match pond
dimensions and depth as water level is dropped. It was found that bag seines
were more efficient in fish capture than other types of seines. As the water
level drops the seine tends to collapse in vertical height and the bottom of
the seine rolls up due to remaining aquatic vegetation. This will undoubtedly
allow for some fish escaping. Switching to a smaller seine as needed will
alleviate the problem. A careful check for fish rolled up in the aquatic
vegetation captured should be conducted when cleaning the seine. This is
especially true when working with fish smaller than 100mm. In general, large
seines were moved slowly through the pond to keep the net on the bottom. When
the water level was shallow it was found that a fast seine would yield more
fish than a slow seine. Once the water level reaches the bottom of the stand
pipe, about a foot of water will remain. A portable pump was borrowed from
the Ouray Refuge personnel to help siphon out the remaining water. The pump
can also speed up the process of dropping the pond level if used in
conjunction with the opening of the stand pipe drain. Make sure that the
drafting bell is in good shape, or fish will be sucked into the pump. Note
that not all of the water will be removed, about 3 to 5 inches will remain.
After it has been determined that all fish have been removed from the pond,
let the remaining water sit for a day or two undisturbed, then seine again.
You will undoubtedly seine out more fish. Follow this procedure until you are
absolutely sure that no fish remain.
A total of 653 fish were removed from pond #1 between September 1st and
3rd, 1988, and ranged in length from 100mm to 271mm. Of these 653 fish, 36
were sent to W.L. Minckley at Arizona State University for morphological, DNA,
and electrophoresis studies. The remaining 617 fish were eventually stocked
in the Green River.
A total of 1322 fish were removed from pond #3 between September 16th and
20th, 1988. Of these 1322 fish, 28 were placed in an aquarium at the CRFP
office in Vernal, Utah. These fish were never weighed or measured. An
additional 2 fish were sent to W.L. Minckley at Arizona State University for
morphological, DNA, and electrophoresis studies prior to fin-clipping.
Another 21 fish were also lost prior to fin-clipping; 13 fish were sucked into
the portable pump during draining, 2 of which were preserved, and another 8
were lost to mortality in the indoor tanks (6 preserved). Also 7 fish were
lost in transit to the stocking sites, 6 of which were preserved. Thus 1262
fish ranging in size from 40mm to 120mm were eventually stocked into the Green
River.
Tank Holding
After being seined out of the ponds, the fish were put into 500 gallon
circular tanks indoors. The tanks were filled with heated water at a rate of
approximately 9 gallons per minute (gpm), and maintained with a constant
inflow of 3.5 to 5.5 gpm. An oxygen bottle with air stone was set up to
maintain favorable dissolved oxygen levels. Daily records of water