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<br />-8- <br />. Recent studies indicate that the Colorado River squawfish, humpback <br />chub, bonytail chub and razorback sucker no longer occur in many <br />parts of their former range due to habitat changes and, in <br />/ some cases, hybridization with introduced fishes. The rapid decline of <br />these native species has caused a good deal of concern in the scientific <br />community. The Colorado River squawfish and the humpback chub have <br />been officially listed as "Endangered Species." Recommendations have <br />been made to similarly classify the razorback sucker and the bonytail <br />chub. <br /> <br />In the upper Colorado drainage, these four species of native fishes <br />presently appear to be generally limited to a reach of the Colorado <br />. River near Grand Junction, Desolation Canyon on the Green River, and <br />the Yampa-Green River area adjacent to and in Dinosaur National <br />Monument. This is understandable since these reaches still maintain <br />. some of their original "big river" environmental characteristics and <br />have not been significantly altered by man's activities. In fact, <br />the Yampa is the only major river in the upper Colorado drainage <br />. (which supports endangered fishes) that does not have a large dam on it. <br />Consequently, there is a high probability that the Yampa River from <br />Craig, Colorado, downstream to its confluence with the Green River <br />. will ultimately be designated by the Secretary of the Interior as <br />"critical habitat" for the squawfish and humpback chub--pursuant <br />to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. <br /> <br /> <br />