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Preface The decline of {he native Colorado River fish fauna is a biological indicator of dramatic environmental change and the potential loss of a unique natural resource. This decline is associated with human population expansion and associated water development in the West, limited interest in nongame fish biology, and a lack of a conservation ethic for fishes of western deserts. For these and other reasons, management and recovery options have been difficult to develop for rare fishes in the Colorado River basin. Only recently have substantive life cycle and habitat use information of these fishes become available and their requirement for large and diverse habitats been recognized. Flow and nonflow management measures for the rare Colorado River fishes are currently being developed based On provisions inherent in Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Since passage of that Act in 1973, the proliferation of literature and symposia concerning recovery ofthe Colorado River fishes reflects the keen interest in their management and recovery. Major conflicts between various water development groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others regarding the cumulative effects of water development projects On recovery of the rare fishes led to the formation of thc multiagency Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee in 1984. Active participants include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U,S. Bureau of Reclamation; Stales of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming; private watcr developmenl interests; and environmental groups. Cooperation of these diverse interests demonstrates the complexity involved in recovery of the rare Colorado River fishes. In 1987 the Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee produced a Recovery Implementalion Program for recovering the rare fishes of the upper Colorado River basin. The ultimate goal of this program was to rccover and dclist the Colorado squawfish (Prye/rochei/lls IIICillS), humpback chub (Gila cypha), and bonytail chub (G. elegalls). In addition, management options woula be developed for the razorback sucker (Xyrallchell texalllls) so that protcction under the Endangered Spccies Act would not be needed. Onc clement oflhe Recovery Implementation Program is the protection of streamflow needs of the listed fishcs. In mceting this goal, the Yampa River has bccn assigned highest-priority for waler rights acquisition. As the only large rivcr in thc uppcr Colorado Rivcr basin in which now patterns have not been substantially altered by watcr development projects, the Yampa River is considered imporcant for the maintenance and recovery of existing populalions of rare Colorado River fishes. In 1988, the Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee requested that streamnow requirements of the rare fishes in the Yampa River be quantified to aid water acquisition in line with the goals of the Rccovery Implementation Program. A two-step process was subsequently outlined: (1) evaluation of habitat use, potential limiting factors, and general flow needs (i.e., relation between life cycle and annual flow events) of the four nsh species; and (2) quantincation of the identified needs with respect to quantity, duration, and timing of flows. The prescnt report fulnlls step I: it is an evaluation of habitat use and streamflow requirements of the Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker in the Yampa River. Questions regarding technical matcrial in this report may be addressed 10 the authors. Additional information regarding the Recovery Implementation Program may be obtained from Colorado River Coordinator (FWE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P,O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver. Colorado 80225, IV ..,..------