7163 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7163
• Author: Haynes, C. M. and J. R. Bennett.
• Title: Relationship between the Preservation of Wilderness Values and Endangered Species
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: A Case-Study from the Upper Colorado River Basin, U.S.A.
• Copyright Material: NO

!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
! Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) in the White River
represent a significant portion of the squawfish population in
the Upper Colorado River Basin. The White River was impounded by
Taylor Draw Dam in 1984. The dam prevented access of squawfish
to historic home-range upstream of the dam. The White River
study was conducted to determine the status of the wild adult
Colorado squawfish below Taylor Draw Dam and hatchery-reared
Colorado squawfish stocked in Kenney Reservoir, and assess
changes in species composition.
Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of Colorado squawfish in the
White River immediately below Taylor Draw Dam was 1.43 fish/hr in
! 1992 and 1.11 fish/hr in 1993. The highest recorded CPUE was
8.46 fish/hr in 1992 and 4.74 fish/hr in 1993 in the first 0.8-
rkm downstream of the dam. Only one squawfish with a left-pelvic
fin clip (hatchery-reared fish stocked into Kenney Reservoir in
1988 and 1989) was captured in the tailrace water below the dam.
! Six Colorado squawfish implanted with radio tags in the
autumn of 1992 remained within a 0.8-rkm river reach downstream
of Taylor Draw Dam from September 1992 through April 1993. Two
of these fish, and six additional fish implanted with radio tags
in the spring of 1993, were relocated 30-rkm upstream of Kenney
Reservoir. All eight fish established new home ranges in
! historic range upstream of Taylor Draw Dam and remained there
from April through June 1993. The remaining four tagged fish
stayed within the first 0.8-rkm reach downstream of the dam from
April through June 1993. All twelve tagged fish migrated out of
the White River to spawning sites in the Green and Yampa rivers.
The eight relocated fish successfully negotiated the dam during
! their downstream migration. All fish had migrated back to the
White River by August. Six of these fish migrated upstream to
Taylor Draw Dam and then redistributed themselves between 145-161
rkm downstream of the dam. The other six fish migrated upstream
between 80-145 rkm and remained there through October 1993.
! During the migration period between May and August 1993,
seven squawfish moved upstream into the Green and Yampa rivers,
while five fish migrated downstream into the Desolation area of
the Green River. The twelve fish migrated an average of 644-rkm
(range, 438-745 rkm) over a 97-d (range, 46-167 d) period between
May and October 1993. Two fish were recaptured on the 9 and 14
! of September 1993 and relocated in Kenney Reservoir 2.4-rkm
upstream of Taylor Draw'Dam. These fish had migrated upstream
between 174-177 rkm by 22 September within 8-13 d after release.
All twelve radio-tagged and recaptured fish displayed a
home range fidelity to areas downstream of Taylor Draw before and
! after their spawning migration. The eight fish relocated
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