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ice chest. The fish were tempered by carefully inserting water from the
<br />backwater into the bucket, via vertical submergence, and allowing the bucket
<br />Fish species present
<br />RMI 295.5 redshiner, green sunfish, fathead minnow, channel catfish,
<br />redside shiner (?), unknown suckers, carp
<br />R@4I 297.0 redshiner, green sunfish, fathead minnow, unlamwn suckers,
<br />colorado squawfish, redside shiner (?)
<br />RMI 297.5 redshiner, green sunfish, fathead minnow, channel catfish,
<br />colorado squawfish, unknown suckers, redside shiner (?),
<br />carp
<br />RMI 297.8 . redshiner, green sunfish, fathead minnow, colorado squawfish,
<br />unknown chub, speckled dace, black bullhead, redside shiner (?),
<br />carp
<br />Table 2. Fish species present in backwater habitats, by river mile indexes
<br />(MI) on the Green River, September 8 to 27, 1988.
<br />to equalize temperature while partially submerged within the water. This was
<br />done within the backwater habitat and the procedure lasted for approximately 5
<br />minutes. Release of fish simply involved tilting the bucket approximately 140
<br />degrees and liberating the fish. This was done either near the mouth of a
<br />given backwater, or at a deep place within the backwater. When the fish came
<br />out of the bucket, they generally came out in every conceivable direction and
<br />then went straight down, to what was assumed to be the bottom. The fish were
<br />not seen again during their release, due to the turbidity of the water. If
<br />the bucket was tilted 90 degrees, such that the bucket was held horizontal in
<br />the water, most of the fish scram to the rear of the bucket. This was also the
<br />case if the bucket was held at an angle slightly greater- than 90 degrees.
<br />A total of 617 fish from pond #1, and a total of 1262 fish from pond #3,
<br />-Were released between September the 8th and 23rd, 1988 (Table 3). After the
<br />initial release date of September 8th, all subsequent stockings were preceded
<br />by intensive seining of the backwaters in an effort to see if any of the fish
<br />were holding within the backwaters. Razorback suckers with the right pelvic
<br />fin removed were found on September 27th at FM 295.5 and WI 297.0 (Table 4).
<br />Also, during a Young of the Year (YOY) sampling program for colorado squawfish
<br />the second week of October 1988, a single razorback sucker with the right
<br />pelvic fin missing was seined at RMI 291.8, and had a total length between
<br />511 and 60mm (pond #3 fish). All of the above recaptured fish were measured,
<br />and then re-released. During this sampling program, no razorback suckers with
<br />the right pelvic fin missing were found upriver, above the stocking sites.
<br />Thus, it appears at present the fish are moving downriver, and at the same
<br />time, exploiting other backwater habitats.
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