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. . 7. Why Is there so much concern about Colorado squawflsh when other squawflsh are abundant In California and the Northwest? .. , _ The answer is simple: Just as the golden eagle and bald eagle are different species, the squawfish found in California and the Northwest are distina species from the Colorado squawfish.. Each fish species evolved in a different river system and now has different chaiacteristics and different responses to environmental changes. None of the other species - the nonhern squawflSh (also called the Colwnbia River squawfish), Sacramento squawfish and Umpqua squawfish - has been ImOWllto grow to the size of the Colorado squawfish, which historically reached lengths of 6 feel Also. the other species populations are doing well despite habitat alterations from the COIIStIUction of dams and introductions of non-native fish species. The northern squawfish originally evolved in lakes and appears to adapt easily to man-made reservoirs. In fact, unlike the Colorado squawfish. the northern squawfish prey effectively on game fish and often become the dominant species in reservoirs, despite biologists' efforts to limit their population size. 8. What work was done with these fish prior to the Recovery Program? Researchers from various universities and state and federal agencies began gathering information on these fish in the 1960s. But these initial projects were conducted independently of one another. The first attempt to coordinate research projects throughout the Colorado River Basin began in 1979 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Colorado River FISheries Project with funding from the U.S. Bureau ofReclllmlltion. These early research efforts provided background infOlDlation that has been used to direct current research projects. Since 1988. all research projects in the upper Colorado River Basin have been coordinated by the Recovery Program. Also. funds from the program also are now being used to acquire in-stream flows for the fish, inform the public about endangered fish and improve methods for IlIising endangered fish to be StoCked in the wild. 9. Why does the research take so long? Steep canyon walls make much of the river system difficult to ~ccess And there are only limited numbers of fish available to study and more than 1,000 miles of turbid river to cover. As a resu1t, research projects can be quite costly and take Several yeazs to complete. 10. Which rivers are Included In the Recovery Program? The program is directed at the upper Colorado River Basin, which is upstream of Late Powell in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Major rivers included are the Colorado. Gunnison. Dolores, White, Yampa, little Snake, Green. Duschene. Price and San Rafael. The San Juan River Basin and rivers in the Lower Colorado River Basin are not included. 11. How has the Recovery Program affected sport-fishIng In the upper Colorado RIver and Its tributaries? . The introduction of non-native fish such as channel catfish, northern pike, large and !mtlll1moutb bass, green sunfish. black CI1lppie and white aappie has been significantly reduced in the upper Coloraao ~n~ of possible competition with and predation on the native fish. But rainbow. brown and cutthroat trout are still stocked in higher elevations of the upper Colorado River and its tributaries. Trout are cold-water fish that prefer temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than those in the lower (downstream) sections of the river where endangered fish are foood. ~ they tend to live in different parts of the river, trout and the endangered fish are not considered competitors. . Srockif1g of non-native fish species will be confined to areas where there is no pot.eDtial contlia with rare or endangered fish. In Colorado, non-native span fish are no longer stocked in the upper Colorado River Basin unless a consultation with the U.S. FISh and Wildlife Service determines the non-natives will not harm the native fish. A similar agreement is cum:ntly being developed with Utah. A