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1 fl I. INTRODUCTION This report presents a conceptual development and management plan for the Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve (Preserve) for the endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). The Preserve is owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Preserve is one of five flooded bottomland sites selected on the Green and Upper Colorado Rivers for potential habitat enhancement for razorback suckers. The sites were selected in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to implement the interagency Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species of the Upper Colorado River Basin (USFWS 1987). The Recovery Implementation Program was developed in 1987 to facilitate the recovery of rare fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin. This recovery program includes research and management projects of which this flooded bottomland project is a part. A. PURPOSE The purpose of this document is to develop, in concept, a short- term and long-term approach to managing the Preserve for the benefit of razorback suckers. Further study is required to determine if this site is suitable for razorback sucker recovery. The plan includes a description of the Preserve, a conceptual ecological model of the habitat for razorback suckers, the proposed development and operation of the Preserve, and a proposed monitoring and evaluation program. B. POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MATHESON PRESERVE FOR THE RAZORBACK SUCKER The potential significance of the Preserve for the razorback sucker in the long-term and short-term species recovery efforts is high. The Preserve is one of the few remaining large flooded bottomlands in the upper Colorado River. Stable aquatic habitat is available on the Preserve where fish could be studied in their natural environment. In the long-term, flows closer to the historic flooding regime may be established to make the site regularly available to all life stages of wild razorback suckers. In addition, other endangered Colorado River fishes including the Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius), humpback chub (Gila cypha), and bonytail chub (G. elegans) may benefit from enhanced flooded bottomland habitats. The razorback sucker is a unique fish endemic to the Colorado River Basin. The threat to the razorback sucker is considered critical. Populations of razorback suckers have declined throughout its range. Few razorback suckers are found in the Upper Colorado River Sub-basin, which is defined as the 1