7347

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7347
• Author: Wick, E. J. and J. A. Hawkins.
• Title: Observations on Use of the Little Snake River in Colorado, by Endangered Colorado Squawfish and Humpback Chub, 1988.
• USFW Year: 1989.
• USFW - Doc Type: Fort Collins, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

INTRODUCTION
This study was initiated to examine use of the Little Snake River, a
tributary of the Yampa River, by Colorado squawfish Ptychocheilus lucius and
humpback chub Gila cypha. Seethaler (1978) reported that a local rancher saw
a squawfish in a hole about 5 km (3 miles) from the mouth of the Little Snake
River during the winter of 1974-75. The rancher also stated that squawfish
could be found in pools about 25 km (15.5 miles) from the confluence. T. M.
Lynch, a fish manager with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), reported
in a personal communication that he had seined young-of-the-year squawfish
from the Little Snake River (Seethaler 1978). Carlson et al. (1979)
discounted the collection of Colorado squawfish by Lynch and some other early
researchers because roundtail chub Gila robusta, a common species was not
reported in collections. It was likely roundtail chub were misidentified as
Colorado squawfish. One of the authors (Wick) talked to catfish fishermen in
June 1987 who accurately described humpback chub caught in pools just below
Moffat County Road (MCR) 10 bridge located 8.7 river miles (RMI 8.7) above the
confluence with the Yampa River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
collected no threatened or endangered fish species during special
investigations of the lower 14.4 km (9 miles) of the Little Snake River in
1981 (Miller et al. 1982). During this USFWS study, three radiotagged
Colorado squawfish from the Yampa River were located at the mouth of the
Little Snake River between June 17 and June 30. On June 17, one fish was
located approximately 1/2 mile upstream on the Little Snake River (personal
communication, H. M. Tyus). During a radiotracking study of adult Colorado
squawfish habitat on the Yampa River in 1988, two radiotelemetered fish moved
into the lower 7 miles of the Little Snake River (Wick and Hawkins 1989).
Sampling was conducted to determine if other Colorado squawfish were present
and also to follow up on reports by fishermen of humpback chub captures in the
Little Snake River.
Objectives
1. Sample for adult Colorado squawfish and humpback chub during
maximum and minimum discharge to determine extent of use.
2. Collect larval samples to determine if Colorado squawfish spawned
within the Little Snake River.
3. Measure discharge during baseflow at two cross-sections, one above
and one below the canyon located below MCR 10 bridge to determine
if water los.; or gain occurs within the canyon and compare these
readings ::o USGS reported discharge.
METHODS
Study area
The headwaters of the Little Snake River are located in Routt and
Medicine Bow National Forests in Routt County, Colorado and Carbon County,
Wyoming respectively. The river meanders westerly back and forth across the