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<br />OO~9'iS
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<br />3,5 COLORADO RIVER
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<br />3,5,1 Imoortance
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<br />The mamSlem Colorado River lrom Rifle, Colorado. to Lake ~9.~el~.U.tah....suPP9I}S
<br />~ffltvt"f'\f"mpo"<'I' ,{ copulations of the endl'tmle1'edfulh~ humpback chub and
<br />" , ",.'.' ',""\","''', ",' " .-, ,
<br />Colorado pikemlnnow. and is reeooriizoo as Imoortantto the reCOVery of all four
<br />endanGered fishes (U.S. F;'ish and Wildlife Service..1990a, 1990b,j991, 1998,.20o;a.
<br />2001b, 2001c. 2001d). 'fhe-1'e:eOve1ypllt~for--the-€Olorllodo'pike~mpb"r.k
<br />eht.:b-;--ttnd- OO"yhtl--1tfl-reeoqnlZe the COIOrado-River--tor POrt'ofl~1h~feof)"ln-beTng- htgh
<br />. .,,, ~
<br />prIOrity reeovery-'1tf'e!t,., A RelatIvely large and healthy humpbaCkJ;;t!ull populations 01
<br />humpbll:ck-ehub occur at Black Rocks and Westwater Canyon near the Utah-Colorado
<br />stale Im~,"-A 5.':'l<1l1or humpbad.;'"chub oopufal!o,:,pl, h.u~c!o:~ OCcu!,s,in Cataract
<br />Canyon, and some oOho last wild bonytailwere 5=OlIect,e,d in thls"river.Jeacn. All life
<br />stages of Colorado pikeminnow occur in the section of river from Palisade, Colorado.
<br />,-- '-'~", ' ,. - '.~, ,"" -,.,." ~ '-.".."",,,..-:-
<br />downstream to Lake Powell. COlorado Plkeminnow are beino translocated and stocke(!
<br />into the uODer reach'of the Colorado River between Palisade and Rifle. Colorado; ,
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<br />natural access 10 lhis historic-habitat reach has be,e,n blocked,slnco.lhe earlYJ900's by
<br />three diversion dams near Palisade. Razorback sucker populations in the mainstem
<br />Colorado River have declined preCipitously in the past 20 years ~ 0, ,II' Il fewwtld
<br />!tlMtf'8zo,bac~s--hltVebct;n Co'lptured-frmntne'rivel"m-the-~t-5-ye/ml. In 1993, 67
<br />adult razorback sucker were collected from isolated ponds adlacentto the Colorado
<br />- .. - ,','_ "_., .'.C'"'."''-'.",''''.',.'
<br />R,ver near Oebeoue. Colorado Only a few wild adult razorback. sucl\l';!r hElve be{;!.f1
<br />captured from the fiv'erjn-the i:jast5years, and there IS no evidence- of SUCCf3SSlul
<br />r!t~ reproduction in the COloradO River. A few (less than 10) suspected wild
<br />bony tall have been captured from the Colorado RIver in the Black Rocks area. near
<br />Moab, Utah. and in Cataract Canyon over the past decade, However. this represents
<br />the highest catch rate of bony tall anywhere in the Upper BaSin,
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<br />The 15.mile reach of the Colorado R,ver Immediately upstream of from the connuence
<br />of the Gunnison River has been a focal pOInt 01 recovery eHorts to date, Catch rates or
<br />adult Colorado p,keminnow m the 15-mile reach are approximately double that of other
<br />areas in the Colorado River. In addlhon. concentrations of adult razorback sucker in
<br />spawning condlllon were found In the 15.mile reach prior to their preCIpitous decline
<br />over the past decade. Instream nows In the 15.mlle reach have been heaVIly impacted
<br />as a result at several major agricultural.water diversions during the late summer and
<br />earlyfaU
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<br />3,5.2 Recovery Actions
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<br />A varrely or recovery actions are planned:ongoing, oc_cOtnPletea for the Colorado
<br />River Numerous approaches are bemg taken to restore nows in the 15-mlle reach to
<br />levels recommended by the F-tsh-l'Ind-WilrlIlfe Service. 'fl'te-Burl':llu of-ReeIltmlllfon
<br />8:eclamallQ~ has made avaIlable 5.000 acre-feet annually plus an additional 5.000
<br />acre.fect4 out of 5 years from Ruedl Reservoir to support flow augmentation in the 15-
<br />mile reach during July. August. and September, In addition, water made avaIlable by
<br />the leases for release 011 0.825 acre-feetlyear of water from Ruedl ReservOIr and the
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