9667

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9667
• Author: Brouder, M. J. and T. L. Hoffnagle.
• Title: Paria River Native Fish Monitoring - 1996-1997 Annual Report.
• USFW Year: 1997.
• USFW - Doc Type: Flagstaff, AZ.
• Copyright Material: NO

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1996 Paris River Native Fish Monitoring
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Mean
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Jan !'eb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1996
Figure 5. Mean, minimum and maximum daily discharge in the Paris River, 1996.
Discussion
Results offish sampling emphasize the importance of the Paris River for spawning aduh
flannelmouth suckers and rearing of larval and YOY fish during periods of low Paris River
discharge. During 1996, the most abundant species was speckled dace, accounting for 59.9 % of
the total number offish collected. Flannelmouth sucker comprised 39.7 % of the catch and the
majority were < 75 mm TL, indicating that spawning had occurred in the Paris River. These data
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support findings by Weiss (1993), who captured eight YOY flannelmouth suckers in the Paris
River during 1992. Further support was provided by AGFD in 1994, when 44 larval flannelmouth
suckers were collected on 13 May and 297 juveniles on 15 June (AGED unpublished data).
However, no YOY had previously been captured later in the summer, indicating a lack of
recruitment.
Large numbers of YOY flannelmouth suckers were captured throughout the 1996
growing season and young fish grew quickly throughout the summer. The unusually high
numbers of flannelmouth sucker YOY in 1996 may be attributed to a Lack of significant flooding
in the Paris River andlor high mainstem Colorado River flows which ponded the Paris River
mouth. Michele Thieme (in preparation) suggests that this slackwater pool acted as a
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Brooder and Hoffnagle, 1996 Atmual Report Arizona Game dt Fish Department 11