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5.2 Results _nd Discussion <br />• <br />6.2.1 Species <br />Fish representing 5 families and 8 species were identified from the <br />North Fork study area. 3y comparison, eleven species representing 6 <br />families aze known from. the leng±h of the river. Table 6-3 presents a check- <br />list of these species plus others known to occur in the North Fork. Of those <br />captured, the suckers were represented by three species, the trout by one, <br />the minnows by two, the sculpins b}'one, and the centrarchids by one. <br />Among the 11 species known to be in the river only six are native; the <br />• <br />other five are introduced species. Tne northern pike was probably accidentally <br />in~soducted to the river by escaping from Pao::ia Reservcir where it had been <br />stocked. The fathead minnow may also have come in through this manner, <br />and the green surSish probably came from a pond and is a rare occurence in <br />the river. <br />Fathead minnows were unusual i.*. that only one fish was found in the first <br />two sampling periods (October 1976 8 I",arch 1977 but they were common at <br />some stations during July. The reason for this is not kzoF^:, but probably <br />the low floxs and slight current found in the late summer ~ovided more suitable <br />nabitat. <br />Although sport fishing occurs in other sections of the river, particu- <br />• <br />lady above Som erset and in the vicinity of the federal hatchery near <br />Hotchkiss, there is little sport fishing in the study area at present and <br />sport fish xere conspicuously absent from the samples <br />capt~ed during the entire sampling year. <br />Catch data are uresented in Tables 6-4 to <br />periods. <br />Only one trout xas <br />6•B for the three sampling <br />6-3 <br />