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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />We implemented removal of invasive nonnative smallmouth bass in the Yampa River <br />from 2003 to 2007 with a goal of decreasing small mouth bass abundance to increase <br />survival and abundance of native and endangered fishes. In 2003, we used mark- <br />recapture data to estimate smallmouth bass distribution, density, capture probability, <br />and movement. From 2004 through 2007, we estimated abundance of adult <br />smallmouth bass (>150 mm) at the beginning of each year prior to removal using mark- <br />recapture methods at two study sites: a 24-mile (39 km) site at Little Yampa Canyon <br />and a 5-mile (8-km) site at Lily Park. Abundance estimates were used to gauge <br />subsequent removal efficiency in each year. From 2003 through 2007, we removed <br />15,190 smallmouth bass (2,441 kg) of all sizes with boat electrofishing and from 2005 <br />through 2007 we removed 18,166 small, young-of-year smallmouth bass (126.5 kg) <br />with electric seine. Of the bass removed, 5,448 (1,805 kg) were translocated to either <br />Elkhead Reservoir or the Justice Center Pond in Craig for future fishing opportunities. <br /> <br />Abundance of adult small mouth bass declined after mechanical removal at each study <br />site. At Little Yampa Canyon we removed 3,879 adult smallmouth bass from 2004 <br />through 2006 and abundance declined 17% from 2,888 fish in 2004 to 2,394 fish in <br />2007. At Lily Park we removed 2,545 adult smallmouth bass from 2004 through 2006 <br />and abundance declined 19% from 1,519 fish in 2004 to 1,233 fish in 2007. We <br />achieved annual removal rates of 40-64% of the bass in Little Yampa Canyon and <br />40-83% of the bass in Lily Park. Although we observed declines in abundance that we <br />attributed to our annual removals, compensatory mechanisms (e.g., recruitment and <br />immigration) likely off-set some of our removal effort. Recruitment appeared robust <br />based on abundant young-of-year small mouth bass captured with electric seine and the <br />wide distribution and high abundance of yearlings captured by boat electrofishing. <br />Immigration of small mouth bass into our study sites was documented based on the <br />movement of fish between our two study sites, invasion of escapees from Elkhead <br />Reservoir, and movement of tagged fish from other reaches such as South Beach, <br /> <br />vi <br />