# Presentation: 891438

## Smallmouth bass:A preliminary synthesis of removal efforts(2003-2008)

- Contributors:
- John Hawkins, Cameron Walford, Tate Wilcox, Dr. Kevin Bestgen (CSU); Boyd Wright, Lori Martin, Anita Martinez, Jen Logan (CDOW); Aaron Webber, Sam Finney, Tildon Jones, Mark Fuller (CRFP-Vernal), Bob Burdick, Travis Francis, and Chuck McAda (CRFP-GJct); Leisa Monroe, Trina Hedrick (UDWR-Vernal); Paul Badame and Patrick Goddard (UDWR-Moab); Jay Groves (Ute Tribe); Tom Chart (PD’s office)
- 2008 Upper Basin Researcher’s Meeting
- Jan 13-14, 2008
- Grand Junction, CO

## History of SMB Invasion and Recovery Program Removal Efforts

## WYO

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

***White River***

**Craig**

**Rangely**

**Jensen**

**Ouray**

**WYO**

**UT**

**CO**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

**Desolation**
**Canyon**

**Notes:**
Green Yampa White rivers
NOT TO SCALE!!! And neither are other maps!

## Pre-1990s Bass Distribution

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

***White River***

**Craig**

**Rangely**

**Jensen**

**Ouray**

**WYO**

**UT**

**CO**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

**Pre-1990s Bass Distribution**

**Notes:**
Pre-1990s distribution of SMB
Du Stocked in river as late as late 1960s
Yampa 1983-84 Wick, Hawkins EL 2778 fish including 2 SMB and 7 NP
Tyus 1979-81 noted bass and Walleye in Green as Rare spp and NP as Incidental
Very rare in collections prior to mid to late 1990s

## 2008 Bass Distribution

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

***White River***

**Craig**

**Rangely**

**Jensen**

**Ouray**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

**Desolation Canyon**

**2008 Bass Distribution**

- SMB (adult density)

- Hi

- Med

- Lo or ??

**Notes:**
Current 2007 distribution of SMB
Major source of bass into the Yampa was Elkhead reservoir in early 1990s during an unscreened and rapid release
Pop expanded and boomed in early 2000-2003
Coinciding with period of drought
On Green Down to Grey Canyon see line
In Yampa bass are most abundant downstream of Craig to confluence
Green from Yampa confluence downstream to Sand Wash or start of Desolation Canyon
Other areas probably less dense.
None collected in Little Snake in mid 1990s

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

***Stagecoach***
***Res.***

**Craig**

***Catamount***
***Res****.*

**	**

***Green River***

***Little****** ******Snake****** ******River***

***Yampa River***

**Removal reaches**

**  ****57 miles removal**
**	****	****38%**
**	**

**Tag & Release reaches **

**Notes:**
2004 Removal Sites    ARROW = NEW Removal areas
LYC 12 miles Control (Reference Site)  & Treatment 
Yampa Canyon 45 miles
% of miles from Elkhead Ck. 149 miles

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

***Stagecoach***
***Res.***

**Craig**

***Catamount***
***Res****.*

**	**

***Green River***

***Little****** ******Snake****** ******River***

***Yampa River***

**Removal reaches**

**  ****62 miles removal**
**	****	****42%**

**Tag & Release reaches **

**Notes:**
2005 Removal Sites- CSU 12 miles in LYC
Added 5 miles in Lily Park

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

***Stagecoach***
***Res.***

**Craig**

***Catamount***
***Res****.*

**	**

***Green River***

***Little****** ******Snake****** ******River***

***Yampa River***

**Removal reaches**

**2006  85 miles removal**
**	****	****57%**

**Notes:**
2007 Added Removal Sites- 
Added
S Beach 11 miles
Craig Tag and release??

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

***Stagecoach***
***Res.***

**Craig**

***Catamount***
***Res****.*

**	**

***Green River***

***Little****** ******Snake****** ******River***

***Yampa River***

**Removal reaches**

**Tag & Release reaches **

**2007  85 miles removal**
**	****	****57%**

**Notes:**
2007 Added
Lower Juniper and Maybell tag and release (54 miles) 

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

***Stagecoach***
***Res.***

**Craig**

***Catamount***
***Res****.*

**	**

***Green River***

***Little****** ******Snake****** ******River***

***Yampa River***

**Removal reaches**

**Tag & Release reaches **

**2008  95 miles removal**
**	****	****63%**

**Notes:**
2007 Added
Lower Juniper and Maybell tag and release (54 miles) 

## Green River

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

**WYO**

**UT**

**CO**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

- Smallmouth bass Distribution

***White River***

**Notes:**
Critical Habitat Boundaries

##    2004--2006

***Green River***

***Duchesne River***

***Price River***

**Lodore**
**19 miles**

**Echo -Split**
**26 miles**

**Split—Deso**
**242 miles**

**Deso**
**40 miles**

**   ****2004--2006**

**Low Density Removal - <4 passes / yr**

**Notes:**
Removal started in these reaches in 2004 and continued until 2006

##    2007

***Green River***

***Duchesne River***

***Price River***

**Desolation**
**Canyon**

**Lodore**
**19 miles**

**Echo -Split**
**26 miles**

**Split—Duchesne**
**71 miles**

**   ****2007**

**Low Density Removal - <4 passes / yr**

**Hi Density Removal -    >8 passes / yr**

**Notes:**
Changes in 2007 major reallocation of effort that moved effort from Deso upstream to increase passes in Echo-Split 
Split – Deso segment decreased in size & increase in removal passes

##    2008

***Green River***

***Duchesne River***

***Price River***

**Desolation**
**Canyon**

**Lodore**
**19 miles**

**Echo -Split**
**26 miles**

**Split—Duchesne**
**71 miles**

**   ****2008**

**Low Density Removal - <4 passes / yr**

**Hi Density Removal -    >12 passes / yr**

**Notes:**
Changes in 2007 major reallocation of effort that moved effort from Deso upstream to increase passes in Echo-Split 
Split – Deso segment decreased in size & increase in removal passes

## Progression of SMB Removal Effort in the Upper Colorado River Basin

**Progression of SMB Removal Effort in the Upper Colorado River Basin**

|  |  |  | Removal Passes |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| River | Proj / RMs | River miles | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| Yampa | 98a So Beach RM 134 - 124 | 10 | NA | NA | 3 | 5 | - |
| Yampa | 98a So Beach RM 134 – 124; RM 80-90 | 20 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| Yampa | 125-LYC RM 112 - 100 | 12 | 8 | 8 | - | - | - |
| Yampa | 125- LYC RM 124 - 100 | 24 | - | - | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Yampa | 125 Lilly RM 55 - 50 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| Yampa | 110 Yam Canyon RM 49 – 0 | 48 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Green | 123a Echo and downstream | 212 | 4 | 4 | 4 | - | - |
| Green | 123a Echo and downstream | 26 | - | - | - | 12 | 15 |
| Green | 123b Uintah Basin | 77 | - | - | - | 10 | 12 |
| Green | 115 – Lodore and Whirlpool | 19 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Colorado | 126 | Focus on 37 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |

## 98b Hayden to Craig

- 98a Craig to Maybell

- 125 LYC and LP

- 110

- 125 young of year

- Green River sampling

**Notes:**
98b - 21-Apr	3-Jul	
98a	1-Apr	31-Jul	
125	15-Apr	15-Jul	
125 - yoy	5-Aug	19-Oct	
110	8-Jul	1-Aug	

## 123a Whirl /Island /Split

- 123b Uintah Basin

- 115 Lodore

- Yampa River sampling

**Notes:**
123a	1-Jul	26-Sep	
123b	2-Jun	24-Oct	
154-deso	21-Aug	29-Aug	
	14-Oct	19-Oct	
154-duch	24-Jun	26-Jun	
115	21-Jul	24-Jul	
	8-Sep	12-Sep	

## Results: Yampa / Green Rivers

## 2006

**2006**

**2007**

**2008**

*21,800 cfs*

*14,400 cfs*

*12,700 cfs*

*8,400 cfs*

*19,200 cfs*

*23,500 cfs*

## Slide 20

## Slide 21

## Slide 22

## Slide 23

## R2  = .77 (one outlier removed)

- R2  = .77 (one outlier removed)

## Population Estimates and Associated Measures of Precision

|  | Little Yampa Canyon |  |  | Lilly Pk |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | N(hat) | Cap. Prob. (%) | CV (%) | N(hat) | Cap. Prob. (%) | CV (%) |
| 2004 | 2,888 | 10 | 21 | 1,519 | 3 | 97 |
| 2005 | 3,422 | 12 | 13 | 1,963 | 9 | 25 |
| 2006 | 2,718 | 13 | 7 | 1,778 | 9 | 13 |
| 2007 | 2,394 | 8 | 24 | 1,233 | 16 | 22 |
| 2008 | 3,414 | 7 | 23 | 1,643 | 8 | 31 |

**Population Estimates and Associated Measures of Precision**

## Annual Exploitation Rates for SMB (>=200mmTL  *)

|  | So Beach | LYC | Lilly Pk | Yampa Canyon | Echo Split | Uintah Basin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2004 | NA | 40 | 65 | NA | NA | NA |
| 2005 | NA | 41 | 40 | NA | NA | NA |
| 2006 | 17.6 | 48 | 44 | NA | NA | NA |
| 2007 | 68.5 | 64 | 83 | NA | 92.5 | 29.1 |
| 2008 | 82.8 | 46 | 66 | 28 | 28.7 | 41.9 |

- Values that exceed the annual exploit target of 65%

- *  2004-2007 values for LYC and Lilly are for SMB (>=150mm TL)

## 2008 Bass Distribution

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

***White River***

**Craig**

**Rangely**

**Jensen**

**Ouray**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

**Desolation Canyon**

**2008 Bass Distribution**

- SMB (adult density)

- Hi

- Med

- Lo or ???

**Areas of hi effort**

**Notes:**
Current 2007 distribution of SMB
Major source of bass into the Yampa was Elkhead reservoir in early 1990s during an unscreened and rapid release
Pop expanded and boomed in early 2000-2003
Coinciding with period of drought
On Green Down to Grey Canyon see line
In Yampa bass are most abundant downstream of Craig to confluence
Green from Yampa confluence downstream to Sand Wash or start of Desolation Canyon
Other areas probably less dense.
None collected in Little Snake in mid 1990s

## Longitudinal Distribution

## Lilly Pk  = 430 

**Lilly Pk  = 430**

## Slide 30

## Slide 31

## Little Yampa

**Little Yampa**
**Canyon**

**Lily Park**

**Notes:**
Sample of length frequency showing fewer large bass in our most downstream reach 2007 
EXPLAIN GRAPH 
25 mm length groups
Where each reach is located.
Only first 2 passes thus represents the lengths of fish used to derive the abundance estimate.
There are more larger bass > 300 mm in upstream reach.
Why is that?

## SMB (<200mm TL) Long. Dist Throughout the Yampa and Green Rivers: 2008

**Lilly Pk  = 430**

## SMB (>=200mm TL) Long. Dist Throughout the Yampa and Green Rivers: 2008

## Slide 35

## Movement

## Nonnative Database

- 2003 – 2007 data is in !
- 58,000 records
- Overwhelming majority of recaptures associated with JHawkins’ Project 125.
- 2,435 SMB recapture events
- 1843 unique SMB have been recaptured.

## WYO

***Green River***

***Yampa River***

***Duchesne River***

***White River***

**Craig**

**Rangely**

**Jensen**

**Ouray**

**WYO**

**UT**

**CO**

***Price River***

***Flaming Gorge Res.***

***Elkhead Ck. & Res.***

**Desolation**
**Canyon**

- 98b

- 125

- 98a

- 98b

- 110

- 123a

- 123b

- 115

**Notes:**
Green Yampa White rivers
NOT TO SCALE!!! And neither are other maps!

## Movement of SMB between Projects: 1st recapture event

| Original Capture location |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recap Location |  | 98b | 98a | 125 | 110 | 115 | 123a | 123b |
|  | 98b | x | 3 | 31 |  |  |  |  |
|  | 98a |  | x | 111 |  |  |  |  |
|  | 125 | 9 |  | x | 16 |  |  |  |
|  | 110 |  |  | 14 | x |  |  |  |
|  | 115 |  |  |  | 1 | x |  |  |
|  | 123a |  |  | 9 |  |  | x | 1 |
|  | 123b |  |  |  |  |  |  | x |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Movement of SMB between Projects: 2nd recapture event

| Original Capture location |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recap Location |  | 98b | 98a | 125 | 110 | 115 | 123a | 123b |
|  | 98b | x | 1 | 16 |  |  |  |  |
|  | 98a |  | x | 25 |  |  |  |  |
|  | 125 | 16 | 23 | x | 1 |  |  |  |
|  | 110 |  |  | 1 | x |  |  |  |
|  | 115 |  |  | 2 |  | x | 3 |  |
|  | 123a |  |  |  |  | 3 | x |  |
|  | 123b |  |  |  |  |  |  | x |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Slide 41

**Notes:**
Yampa							
0to5	1068	60.50992		upstream	824	46.68555	
6to10	258	14.61756		downstream	763	43.22946	
11to20	257	14.56091		same location	178	10.08499	
21to50	111	6.288952			1765		
51to75	58	3.286119					
76to100	12	0.679887					
100+	1	0.056657					
	1765						
		Yampa							
0to5	1068	60.50992		upstream	824	46.68555	
6to10	258	14.61756		downstream	763	43.22946	
11to20	257	14.56091		same location	178	10.08499	
21to50	111	6.288952			1765		
51to75	58	3.286119					
76to100	12	0.679887					
100+	1	0.056657					
	1765						

## Slide 42

## Colorado River: Project 126

## Slide 44

## Colorado River SMB (>=200mm TL) Population Estimates and Exploitation Rates

|  | N(hat) | Cap. Prob. (%) | CV (%) | Density (SMB / mile) | Exploit.  Rate (%) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2006 | 2,295 | 3.8 | 33.3 | 65 | 19.6 |
| 2007 | 1,007 | 4.8 | 34.8 | 28.5 | 42.6 |
| 2008 | 393 | 17 | 35.9 | 11.1 | 34.4 |

**Colorado River SMB (>=200mm TL) Population Estimates and Exploitation Rates**

## Comparison of Environmental Conditions: Flow

## Comparison of Environmental Conditions: Temp

## SMB Reproductive Success: 2007 vs 2008

## Conclusions 

- As of 2008, we are removing SMB from 63% of occupied habitat on the Yampa River.
- Sampling schedules on the Yampa River upstream of Yampa Canyon could be easily adjusted to accommodate a riverwide population estimate.
- It would take a greater effort to coordinate the same between the Green and Yampa Rivers

## Conclusions (cont.)

- Highest densities of adult SMB (>=200mmTL) are found in the Little Yampa Canyon downstream through Lilly Park.
- Densities have been nearly as high in So. Beach, Echo Pk,  and Yampa Canyon in year’s past.
- The largest sized SMB are found in LYC
- Lilly Pk also has revealed the highest densities of juvenile SMB (100 – 199mm TL)
- Juvenile SMB are more evenly distributed downstream through the upper most reaches of the Uintah Basin.

## Conclusions (cont.)

- Catch rates and density of SMB >=200mmTL appear to be correlated.
- Annual exploitation targets of 65% of the estimated population size have been achieved in some reaches in some years.
- Whereas it appeared the adult population in the Yampa was trended downward a recent wave of strong recruitment (’06 and ’07) reversed this.
- Preliminary data suggests SMB reproduction is negatively affected by high water and cooler temperatures.

## Conclusions (cont.)

- SMB Density and catch rates on the Colorado River are in decline.
- LMB (primarily small sized fish) are increasing.

## Recommendations and Discussion Pts from the 2008 Workshop

- _Sampling techniques_
- Further investigate apparent discrepancies in catch rates of  Coffelt vs Smith-Root electrofishers
- Gather necessary field measurements to maximize efficiency and reduce harm to native fish using the S-R GPP15, i.e. standardization of our EF fleet
- Work toward greater coordination of sampling schedules to obtain more powerful (accounting for movement) SMB pop estimates – similar to the NP strategy.
- We need to get more fish tagged annually: further review available data to determine if delaying the tagging pass would help.
- Larger fish may be more catchable in the spring: include a spring sampling pass in areas where not currently done.
- Tags: *PIT vs Floy Revisited*

## Recommendations and Discussion Pts from the 2008 Workshop

- _Data Analysis_
- Proceed with 2nd Level synthesis
- Focus the evaluation of Program’s efforts via the development of pop dynamics model to determine necessary levels exploitation
- Use 2003 – 2008 (possibly 2009) data sets
- Researchers need to submit 2008 standardized data sets to Chuck and Travis by March 01, 2009
- _Flow / Temp manipulations_
- Proceed with developing study design.

## Recommendations and Discussion Pts from the 2008 Workshop

- _Proposed Changes to FY09 Work Plan_
- Expand SMB removal to include all occupied reaches of  Critical Habitat
- LFL and CDOW will consider expanding removal efforts to include carp and white sucker on the Yampa River.
- UDWR will consider expanding removal on the Green River to include channel catfish
- USFWS and CDOW will consider reducing the number of  removal passes on the Colorado River
- Work in 2008 indicates that a concerted removal effort in Deso is not warranted.  However, catch rates of SMB in the Duchesne River require follow-up – this may be a system that would allow for experimentation w/ alternative techniques (weir, flow manipulations, etc.)