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t <br />4. All wild adult razorback suckers that are collected in the-Upper Colorado River will be maintained in <br />refuge ponds at the Horsethief State Wildlife Area for broodstock development. During a meeting in <br />September, 1994, the Genetic Panel recommended that the broodstock for the Upper Colorado River <br />be developed from a mixed stock using wild adults from the nearest neighbor population (i.e., Lake <br />Powell). Although 10 adults have been collected in 1995 and 1996 from the Colorado River and San <br />Juan amvs of Lake Powell, attempts in 1997 failed and the effort has been discontinued. The current <br />breeding matrix at the Grand Valley endangered Fish Facility is using the 5x5 diallele cross. This <br />should be expanded to utilize the 25x25 coatings and 25 family lots strategy to reduce the risk of <br />inbreeding. The 25x25 paired coatings should be developed as soon as possible to meet upcoming <br />production needs in restoration stocking. In the summer of 1997, 11 (6:5 male:female sex ratio) <br />adult razorback suckers were transferred from Ouray National Fish Hatchery to the Grand Valley <br />Endangered Fish Facility/Horsetheif Ponds. The Ouray facility had limited success in 1997 in <br />spawning these fish. In the spring of 1998, attempts were made to spawn these fish at Grand Valley. <br />Spawning was not very successful at Grand Valley, one lot was returned to Ouray to add to <br />broodstock and family lot development needs in the middle Green River. Lake Mohave razorback <br />suckers larvae should be raised to adults and used to complete the 25x25 paired coatings in the event <br />upper basin fish are unavailable by 2002. <br />Bonytail <br />1. Continue implementation of bonytail reintroduction plan. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has <br />developed a Bonytail Reintroduction Plan and the Program has begun implementing it in the <br />Professor Valley reach of the Colorado River, Utah. Approximately 2000 yoy bonytail were stocked <br />in 1996. Several weeks after stocking, 18 of the fish were collected in an evaluation of the stocking <br />effort. In the fall of 1997, about 2200 yoy and 350 Age-I (1996 year class) bonytail were stocked <br />again at Professor Valley. <br />2. Begin development of a bonytail broodstock from 25 paired coatings (i.e., 50 adults) to be used in <br />restoration stocking of this species in the upper basin until 1996. The Biology Committee <br />~mani_mously agreed that development of a bonytail broodstock would have to be from Lake Mohave <br />stock, being maintained at the Dexter National Fish Hatchery, New Mexico. Continue to allow <br />Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technical Center to rnaintain and develop bonytail broodstock, <br />yet supply the upper basin needs for production of early life stages for grow out and stocking. Dexter <br />is currently developing a new broodstock of bonytail principally using the 1981 year class consisting <br />of 354 fish (sex ratio @ 50:50) (Roger Hammon, Holt Williamson, per. comm.) . The priorities at <br />Dexter are to develop the new broodstock, and produce fish for stocking into Lake Mohave as <br />mitigation, upper basin fish needs become the third priority. Personnel at Dexter think they can meet <br />all these needs. If Dexter begins to fail in meeting production needs in the upper basin, because of <br />Region 2 priorities, the Program should institute a broodstock for the upper basin. If the upper basin <br />decides to develop a broodstock in the upper basin, the use of survivors of earlier stockings should <br />strongly be considered, i.e., Professor Valley survivors. <br />3. Conduct Gila genetics workshop in 1999 to determine the risk of hybridization. Have acceptance by <br />the Service for potential hybridization and determine how hybrids count toward endangered species <br />status, management objectives and recovery goals. <br />4. Implement the current plan for the production 460,800 in 5 years for Colorado State waters (Kesler <br />1998). <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />t <br />18 <br />