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<br />decrease mortality in the Green River due to predation by nonnatives. In the San Juan <br />River, recapture rates have been greater for larger stocked razorback suckers (Ryden <br />~ 2000). Marsh and Brooks (1989) stated that stocking razorback sucker in the 300 mm TL <br />size range may enhance post-stocking survival. However, if numbers of northern pilce <br />(Brunson pers. comet) and walleye (Meismer pers. comm.) are increasing in the Green <br />River, then this increase in large predatory fish may lead to some adult mortality. <br />~ Chemoreceptive imprinting may be necessary for razorback sucker to return to spawning <br />sites. It was determined by Scholz et al. (1992, 1993) that the critical period for <br />chemoreceptive imprinting is at the hatching or swim up stage. Unless provided an <br />artificial chemical cue to imprint upon, hatchery raised razorback suckers may imprint to <br />the hatchery water. Scholz and Haines (1997) did not find much success with artificial <br />~ imprinting in a laboratory environment. Thus, the associated risks aze that hatchery <br />spawned razorback suckers may be imprinted to the hatchery water unless artificially <br />imprinted with a synthetic chemical and/or artificially imprinted razorback suckers may fail <br />to return to adequate spawning habitat when provided with artificial chemical cues (as <br />discussed in Ryden 1997). However, recent collections of stocked razorback suckers on <br />i the Jensen spawning bar provide evidence that hatchery raised fish will return to spawning <br />sites (Modde pers. Comm, Brunson pers. comm.). <br />Bonytail <br />~ Bonytail are considered a Priority 2 species for augmentation/restoration efforts (Czapla 1999). <br />Within that species priority, the upper basin stock of bonytail is rated Priority 1. The Genetics <br />Management Plan directs the use of bonytail brood stock located at Dexter National Fish <br />Hatchery for bonyta~7 propagation efforts at Wahweap State Fish Hatchery. Furthermore, <br />Wahweap State Fish Hatchery has developed a bonytail brood stock from the fish. supplied by <br />~ Dexter National Fish Hatchery in past years. This brood stock will be used to provide for the <br />bonytail stocking objectives when Dexter National Fish Hatchery can not provide the necessary <br />larvae. Use of this facility to propagate bonytail in accordance with this plan will be detailed in the <br />Facility Operations Plan (Czapla in draft). <br />~ Bonytail (ir-16,280) will be stocked for seven consecutive years in numbers that will allow <br />achievement of a minimum viable population of 4,500 fish among three locations in Year 10 <br />(Tables 1 and 2). In addition, these populations will have a multiple age-class structure. In the <br />absence of data, conservative survival estimates were used for bonytail in accordance with <br />Biology Corntnittee discussion (Biology Committee, September 26-27, 2001; Table 2). Bonytail <br />~ stocked into the Green and Colorado rivers will be an average of 200 mm in length (150 mm <br />minimum; Age-1+). past Utah Division of Wildlife Resource monitoring of stocked bonytail in the <br />Green and Colorado rivers may indicate greater survival in ]anger fish stocked. Bonytail are <br />expected to reach this stocking size after the second growing season. <br />~ Bonytail will be stocked into three reaches in the Green and Colorado rivers: middle Green River, <br />lower Green River, and Colorado River. Bonytail will be stocked at these three locations in an <br />attempt to meet the recovery goals of the Green River and Colorado River subbasins. Each reach <br />will be stocked with one-third the annual tazget stocking objective (n--5,427). Stocking in the <br />middle Green River will occur in the reach of river between Jensen and Ouray (RM 302-249). <br />~ 6 <br />