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<br />abundance of bluehead sucker in seine samples declined dramatically in Browns Park and all <br />Lodore Canyon reaches and constituted < 5% of the fish community in 2002 to 2004. Bluehead <br />sucker relative abundance was similar in the two periods in Island-Rainbow Park. Density of <br />bluehead sucker in seine samples increased sharply in WH1 in 2002 to 2004, compared to <br />upstream and downstream reaches. <br />Bluehead suckers in the 301 to 400-mm TL size class in electrofishing samples <br />dominated in all study reaches. Frequency distributions appeared relatively stable in both study <br />periods in Lodore Canyon except that smaller fish (250 mm TL or less) were less common (Fig. <br />22). Small bluehead suckers were relatively common in upper Whirlpool Canyon reach WH1, <br />particularly in Echo and Mitten parks. <br />Mottled sculpin was found throughout the study area and generally represented a small <br />proportion of fishes captured with both seine and electrofishing gears. Mottled sculpin was the <br />only native fish to increase in abundance in Lodore Canyon electrofishing samples between the <br />1994 to 1996 and 2002 to 2004 periods, particularly in LD3 and LD4 (Fig. 23); the difference in <br />CPUE was significant. Mottled sculpin relative abundance in seine samples was generally <br />higher in the 1994 to 1996 period, particularly in reaches LD2 to LD4 compared to the 2002 to <br />2004 period. Sculpin abundance in seine samples in 2002 to 2004 was relatively low in all <br />reaches except LD3. <br />Thus, abundance of all native fish declined in electrofishing samples collected from <br />Lodore Canyon between the periods 1994 to 1996 and 2002 to 2004, with the exception of <br />mottled sculpin. Declines of all taxa were statistically significant except for Colorado <br />pikeminnow, which showed a moderately substantial decline that was statistically not <br />significant. Declines were severe for speckled dace, roundtail chub, and mountain whitefish. <br />Abundance declines of even common taxa were substantial; CPUE for bluehead sucker and <br />flannelmouth sucker declined 39 and 37%, respectively, over the period. <br />In seine samples, relative abundance of all but one native fish declined between the 1994 <br />to 1996 and 2002 to 2004 periods. Declines were severe for flannelmouth sucker, bluehead <br />sucker, and speckled dace; relative abundance of those taxa in Lodore Canyon seine samples <br />30