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<br />. <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />near the Jensen Bridge at RM 301.3 (Figure 6), and two in the lower region near <br />the Bonanza Bridge at RM 289.8 (Figure 7). No main channel ice was present <br />during the observations of these four fish, and 50 their behavior is not <br />related or influenced by ice conditions. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The fish in the upper region and the two fish in the lower region were observed <br />for 24 hours. Movement behavior by these fish revealed three aspects common to <br />most of the squawfish observed during winter conditions; (1) local movement <br />over a 24-hour period was generally within a 50 m diameter area, (2) movement <br />was almost always within a defined habitat with greater than average river <br />depth and lower than average velocity, and (3) the majority of time was spent <br />in two to five "favorite spots". These favorite spots often exhibted very <br />similar depth, velocity, and substrate characteristics. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />At least some of the local movement by squawfish GR6118 (Figure 5) appeared to <br />be in response to a decrease of 12 inches in river level. During a period of <br />about 21 hours, the fish occupied four favorite spots, but returned to its <br />original location when the river flow resumed to its original level. Thus, <br />gross movement by this fish was 80 m but net movement was O. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />In the case of squawfish OR4021 (Figure 7), four favorite spots were occupied <br />during a 24-hour period for a gross movement of 50 m and a net movement of 10 <br />m. This fish was located near Bonanza Bridge, about 120 miles downstream of <br />Flaming Gorge Dam, and such a distance that fluctuating releases were <br />ameliorated to vertical changes in water level of only 2-3 inches. Some <br />movement by this fish may be attributed to changing water levels, but most was <br />probably due to normal repositioning. A second squawfish, GR6106, in the same <br />vicinity, visited five favorite spots, all within a 50-m diameter area and all <br />within a slackwater habitat. Gross movement by this fish was 118 m while net <br />movement was 10 m. Some movement by this fish may be attributed to changing <br />water levels, but most probably reflects normal behavior. It is noted that all <br />three squawfish returned to either their original position or within 10 m <br />thereof in the 24 hour observation period, which reflects a flow cycle from the <br />dam. This suggests that even subtle vertical changes in water level can lead <br />to movement by the fish. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Observations of squawfish GR6120 (Figure 6) are presented to illustrate <br />movement by a fish that is directly attributed to decreasing water levels. <br />During a 3.5-hour period, this fish occupied nine spots in a line from shallow <br />to deep water in a trough along a submerged sand ridge. This fish, as well as <br />most of the radiotagged squawfish observed, appeared to change position in the <br />channel to spots that satisfied certain minimum depth criteria of about 3 feet <br />with 0.6 velocities of less than 1 fps. The movement of this fish in contrast <br />to the three previous fish indicates that extensive local movement depends how <br />well a favorite spot maintains the appropriate combination of habitat <br />parameters during changes in flow level. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />6.1.4.1.2 Razorback Sucker <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Four razorback suckers were also selected to depict local movement over <br />randomly-selected 24-hour periods; three in the upper region near Echo Park at <br />RM 344.2 (Figure 8), one in the middle region above Razor Island at RM 312.4 <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />. <br />