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<br />III). Identify light trap and drift net samples. Ongoing. <br /> <br />Middle Green River ligbt trap samples. A total of95 light trap and seine <br />samples were collected in 2002. Seine samples were collected this year because <br />low water limited locations available for light trap sampling. Cliff Creek, Jensen <br />Bridge, Greasewood Corral, Old Charlie Wash outlet, and Shepard Bottom outlet <br />were among the sample sites in 2002. <br /> <br />The first catostomid larvae, a single Catastamus lalipinnis, was collected on 15 <br />May at Cliff Creek. The first razorback sucker larvae detected was on 20 May at <br />that same location. Preliminary identifications have been made on about half of <br />the samples; sample identification should be complete in early 2003. <br /> <br />Lower Vampa River drift net sampling. Samples were collected in the Yampa <br />River about 0.8 km upstream from the Green River, the same site that samples <br />were collected at from 1990 to 1996 (Bestgen et a1. 1998) and in 1998 to 2001. A <br />total of207 samples were collected between 18 June and 4 August 2001. These <br />included samples collected at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight on approximately <br />weekly intervals on seven occasions to detect die! variation in drift abundance. <br /> <br />Preliminary identification of samples has just begun so few results are available. <br />We did detect drifting pikeminnow larvae as early as 26 June, well after planned <br />high spring flow releases from Flaming Gorge Dam ceased. <br /> <br />Reproductive success of Colorado pikeminnow was considered moderate in 2001, <br />and perhaps similar to 1999 and 1998, when 685 and 716 pikeminnow larvae were <br />collected, respectively. The total number of fish captured inI998 and 1999 were <br />substantially higher than previous years from 1991 to 1997. In summer 2002, <br />flows were very low and clear, conditions similar to 1994 when Colorado <br />pikeminnow drift net captures were very low. <br /> <br />2001 light trap sampling data. Only preliminary data were available from 2001 <br />light trap samples at the time of the December 2001 report deadline so we present <br />that data now. A total of 4,046 specimens were captured in nine species in 2001 <br />(Table 1). A total of 92 razorback sucker larvae (including 2 I specimens <br />classified as razorback sucker?) were captured and represented 2.3 % of all fish <br />captured. Larvae were captured from 23 May to 18 June when average daily <br />water temperatures was increasing slowly and in the 14 to 18'C range (Fig. 1). <br />Larvae ranged in size from 11 to 16 mm TL; most were II to 12 mm TL (Fig. 2). <br />The largest 15 and 16 rom TL larvae were captured later in the season on or after <br />29 May (Fig. 3). All larvae were captured after discharge in the Green River <br />peaked on 18 May at 14,400 cfs. <br /> <br />The proportion of razorback suckers in 2001 middle Green River light trap <br />samples compares favorably with proportions and catch rates from samples <br /> <br />FY 2002 Annual Report 22fPage - 4 <br />