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r ~ <br />Hypothesis 6: The Gunnison River contains habitat suitable for reintroducing <br />razorback sucker, augmenting the Colorado squawfish population, and <br />establishing a new population of humpback chub. <br />Hypothesis 7: Increased flows in the Gunnison River will improve the success <br />of razorback sucker augmentation in the Colorado River. <br />The Gunnison River once contained populations of razorback sucker and <br />Colorado squawfish; these populations are now very low or extirpated. The <br />test flows from the Aspinall Unit have the potential to improve the available <br />habitat such that razorback sucker and Colorado squawfish can reoccupy the <br />lower 55 miles of the river. Canyon habitats suitable for introduction of <br />humpback chub may also be available. However, the relative availability of <br />different habitat types is unknown. The available habitat needs to be <br />quantified in relation to the test flows released over the course of a year. <br />Emphasis should be placed on the relative availability of flooded backwaters <br />and other quiet water areas during high-flow periods and on general habitats <br />available during base-flow periods. <br />Investigation of management opportunities to improve or manipulate <br />habitat to benefit endangered fish should begin after the general distribution <br />of the available habitats is identified. Evaluation of the feasibility of <br />introducing one or more of the endangered species into the Gunnison River or <br />augmentation of the razorback sucker population in the Colorado River should <br />accompany investigation of habitat management opportunities. The razorback <br />sucker population is currently so low that investigations into its habitat <br />requirements are impossible. However, augmenting its current population would <br />allow investigations into its habitat requirements as well as providing useful <br />38 <br />