Colorado River Aquatic Resources Investigations Federal Aid Project F-237R-18 R. Barry Nehring General Professional V Co-Authors Brian Heinold Justin Pomeranz Tom Remington, Director Federal Aid in Fish and Wildlife Restoration Job Progress Report Colorado Division of Wildlife Aquatic Wildlife Research Section Fort Collins, Colorado June 2011 STATE OF COLORADO John W. Hickenlooper, Governor COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Mike King, Executive Director COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE Tom Remington, Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION Tim Glenn, Chair Robert G. Streeter, Ph.D., Vice Chair Kenneth M. Smith, Secretary David R. Brougham Dennis G. Buechler Dorothea Farris Allan Jones John W. Singletary Dean Wingfield Ex Officio/Non-Voting Members: Mike King, Department of Natural Resources John Stulp, Department of Agriculture AQUATIC RESEARCH STAFF George J. Schisler, General Professional VI, Aquatic Wildlife Research Leader Rosemary Black, Program Assistant I Stephen Brinkman, General Professional IV, Water Pollution Studies Eric R. Fetherman, General Professions IV, Salmonid Disease Investigations Ryan Fitzpatrick, General Professional IV, Eastern Plains Native Fishes Matt Kondratieff, General Professional IV, Stream Habitat Restoration Jesse M. Lepak, General Professional V, Coldwater Lakes and Reservoirs R. Barry Nehring, General Professional V, Stream Fisheries Investigations Brad Neuschwanger, Hatchery Technician IV, Research Hatchery Kyle Okeson, Technician III, Fish Research Hatchery Christopher Praamsma, Technician III, Fish Research Hatchery Kevin B. Rogers, General Professional IV, Colorado Cutthroat Studies Kevin G. Thompson, General Professional IV, GOCO - Boreal Toad Studies Harry Vermillion, General Professional III, F-239, Aquatic Data Analysis Nicole Vieira, Physical Scientist III, Toxicologist Paula Nichols, Federal Aid Coordinator Kay Knudsen, Librarian i Prepared by: R. Barry Nehri g, General essional V, Aquatic Wildlife Researcher Approved by: George J. Schisle Aq tic Wildlife Research Leader Date: The results of the research investigations contained in this report represent work of the authors and may or may not have been implemented as Division of Wildlife policy by the Director or the Wildlife Commission. ii Table of Contents Signature Page ................................................................................................................................ ii Title Page .........................................................................................................................................1 Job 1: Colorado River Aquatic Invertebrate Investigations ............................................................1 Job Objective ..........................................................................................................1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................1 Literature Review.....................................................................................................4 Benthic Sampling Methods ......................................................................................8 Results and Discussion ..........................................................................................13 Conclusions ........................................................................................................30 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................33 Appendix ........................................................................................................38 Job 2: Colorado River Mottled Sculpin Population Studies .........................................................62 Job Objective ........................................................................................................62 Introduction ........................................................................................................62 Study Design ........................................................................................................70 Results and Discussion ..........................................................................................71 Conclusions ........................................................................................................78 Recommendations ..................................................................................................85 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................88 Appendix: ........................................................................................................97 iii Job 1: Colorado River Aquatic Invertebrate Investigations LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Benthic sampling site locations and sampling periods between the 1980- 1981 study compared with samples collected by the Colorado Division of Wildlife from 2009 through 2011 ..............................................................................9 Table 2 Number of taxa from each station in spring and fall 2010 individually and combined and distance in river miles downstream from Windy Gap dam ...............14 Table 3 Numbers of species in each major group of aquatic macroinvertebrates from Windy Gap sampling stations in 2010 and 1980-1981 .............................................14 Table 4 Population estimates of Pteronarcys californica mymphal exuviae per 30.5 m or 100 feet of stream channel along one bank within prime riffle habitat at various sampling sites on the Colorado River during late May and early June 2010 and 2011 compared with sampling sites on the Gunnison River downstream of Blue Mesa, Morrow Point and Crystal dams and the Rio Grande between Creede and South Fort, Colorado in June 2011 .............................19 Table 5 Number of days when the average daily discharge at the Windy Gap or Hot Sulphur Springs gage were equal to or exceeded various flows, for the water years from 1977 through 2010 ..................................................................................24 Table 6 Number of days when the average daily discharge at the Fraser River at Granby, the Colorado River below Kremmling and the Gunnison River at Ute Park were equal to or exceeded various flows, for the water years from 1999 through 2010 ....................................................................................................26 Table A1 Estimated densities of mayfly larvae at various sampling sites on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 ..............................................................................................39 Table A2 Estimated densities of stonefly larvae at various sampling sites on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 ..............................................................................................41 Table A3 Estimated densities of caddisfly larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 ..............................................................................................42 iv Table A4 Estimated densities of true fly larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 ..............................................................................................43 Table A5 Estimated densities of aquatic beetle larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 ......................................................................................44 Table A6 Estimated densities of non-insect aquatic invertebrates at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the spring 2010 .........................................................................45 Table A7 Estimated densities of mayfly larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the fall 2010 ...................................................................................................46 Table A8 Estimated densities of stonefly larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the fall 2010 ...................................................................................................48 Table A9 Estimated densities of stonefly larvae at various sampling sties on Willow Creek, the Fraser River and Colorado River in Middle Park, Grand County, and the Gunnison River in Ute Park on the Montrose-Delta County line, during the fall 2010 ...................................................................................................49