Laserfiche WebLink
early July. In the Green River, 50% of adult squawfish were collected <br />in shoreline habitats and 38% in eddies. Eighty-two percent of Green <br />River squawfish were captured over rubble/boulder substrate. No adult <br />squawfish were collected in backwaters in either the Green or Yampa <br />rivers and only two individuals were collected over gravel substrate, <br />both in the Yampa River. <br />A total of 52 adult Colorado squawfish were captured during post- <br />runoff in the Yampa River at water depths averaging 3.4 ft (1.0 m) and <br />velocities averaging 1.4 ft/s (0.43 m/s) (Table 17). In the Green <br />River, 9 adults were captured at an average water depth of 4.6 ft (1.4 <br />(m) and average water velocity of 1.03 ft/s 0.30 m/s) during postrunoff. <br />In both the Green and Yampa rivers, average water depth at point of <br />capture was greater during postrunoff than runoff, although average <br />river depth was noticeably greater in both rivers during runoff (refer <br />to Table 4). Habitat created by high water, such as overbank flooding <br />and creation of side channel connections to the main river, may have <br />provided refuge areas aways from currents during high water. For post- <br />runoff these areas would not be present. Including all collections, <br />average water velocities at point of capture were higher during post- <br />runoff than runoff in the Yampa River, but the reverse was true. if only <br />standardized sampling captures are considered. This difference was due <br />to the large number (36) of adult squawfish captured in relatively swift <br />areas during special spawning/radiotelemetry studies in July, the post <br />runoff period. Thus, spawning activity during postrunoff would bias the <br />velocity preference during that period. <br />Mean water depths and velocities for capture localities of adult <br />Colorado squawfish by habitat types in the Green (Figure 11) and the <br />Yampa (Figure 12) rivers indicated similar preferences for these two <br />parameters in similar habitats between the two rivers. Average shore- <br />line and eddy capture depths were slightly greater in the Green, but <br />were approximately equal in pool and main channel habitat in both rivers. <br />Migration and Movement - Information about migration and movement of <br />adult Colorado squawfish was obtained from recaptures of conventionally <br />tagged fish and from radiotelemetry. Movement of young was evaluated by <br />catch records. <br />By 14 May seven Colorado squawfish from the Yampa River and one <br />from the Green river were surgically implanted with radiotransmitters. <br />In late June the radiotagged fish in the Yampa River began moving down- <br />stream from their original points of capture and in early July were <br />52