razorback sucker use of the colorado river inflow of lake ...razorback sucker use of the colorado...
TRANSCRIPT
Razorback Sucker use of the Colorado River inflow of Lake Mead
and the lower Grand Canyon
Ron Kegerries1, Brandon Albrecht1, Steven Platania2, Mark McKinstry3, Jim Stolberg4, and Brian Healy5
(1- BIO-WEST, Inc., 2- American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers, 3- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 4- Lower Colorado River Multi-species Conservation Program, 5- National Park Service)
Objectives (Colorado River Inflow)
• Determine presence or absence of wild RBS
• Sonic Telemetry
– Track movement and locate wild fish
• Mark captured RBS (PIT-tag) – Trammel netting
• Determine spawning and habitat use
• Characterize the age structure and recruitment patterns
Results (CRI)YEAR Total # # NEW WILD # RECAP
(wild and stocked)
# NETS
2010 3 3 0 30
2011 15 7 8 187
2012 33 13 20 183
2013 4 1* 3 70
TOTALS 55 24 31 470
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
2010 2011 2012 2013
# R
BS/
net
nig
ht
Year
Results (CRI)YEAR Total #
RBSEvents Light
HoursTemp
(1st Capture)
Date of First Capture
Dates of Majority Captured
2010 7 123 58.00 16.0 ◦C 4/13/2010 04/13-14/2010
2011 65 265 140.25 12.0 ◦C 02/14/2011 04/14-19/2011
2012 12 219 125.75 17.0 ◦C 04/03/2012 04/24-5/16/2012
2013 0 41 26.25 NA NA NA
TOTALS 82 607 325.5 NA NA NA
0
0.002
0.004
0.006
0.008
2010 2011 2012 2013
#RB
S/lig
ht
min
.
Year
FISH 2-4-9Stocked 2010
South Cove
Pearce Ferry Rapid
Columbine Falls
Bat Cave
Quartermaster Canyon Salt Creek
Surprise Canyon Spencer Creek2010
FISH 2-4-9Stocked 2010
South Cove
Pearce Ferry Rapid
Columbine Falls
Bat Cave
Quartermaster Canyon Salt Creek
Surprise Canyon Spencer Creek2011
FISH 2‐4‐9 Stocked 2010
South Cove
Pearce Ferry Rapid
Columbine Falls
Bat Cave
Quartermaster Canyon Salt Creek
Surprise Canyon Spencer Creek 2012
FISH 2‐4‐9 Stocked 2010
South Cove
Pearce Ferry Rapid
Columbine Falls
Bat Cave
Quartermaster Canyon Salt Creek
Surprise Canyon Spencer Creek 2013
Conclusions (CRI)
• Confirmed RBS presence 2010-2013
• Wild spawning adults
and larvae
• Juvenile RBS captured
– Recruitment?
• Relatively young population (majority <11 yrs)
• Upstream movement and use of LGC
• Variable lake conditions and spawning locations throughout study years
Overview (Lower Grand Canyon)• RBS thought to be extirpated from the Lower
Grand Canyon (LGC)
• Sonic and wild RBS located in LGC as high as Spencer Creek (~RM 246.3)
• “…undertake an effort to examine the potential of habitat in the lower Grand Canyon for the species, and institute an augmentation program in collaboration with FWS, if appropriate.” (USFWS 2007 BiOP)
• Determined suitable habitat by science panel
Objectives (LGC)1. Larval and small bodied
fish study
– Reproduction, spawning, and nursery areas
2. Determine RBS presence and habitat use in LGC
3. Determine population trends in LGC and CRI
4. Continued monitoring at the CRI
Methods (LGC)
• Sonic Telemetry– Release and track
implanted fish
– Passive (SUR) and Active
• Seining for larval and small bodied fish– Larval collection and lab
work by ASIR
• Opportunistic adult sampling (trammel nets or other gear types)
Results (LGC)
• Larval, small bodied, tracking, and SUR installation– October 4-6, 2013
– Diamond Creek (~RM 226) to Pearce Ferry (~RM 280)
• SURs placed every 5 miles (approximate)
• Abundance of native fish captures – No RBS……so far!
• December 14-16, 2013 – SUR download and tracking
Pearce Ferry Rapid
Bat Cave
Quartermaster Canyon
Spencer Creek
Diamond Creek
SUR
4‐4‐5‐5 5‐6‐6‐8
2‐2‐7
3‐7‐4‐7 4‐4‐4‐8
4‐6‐6‐6
Moving forward
• Up to 7 trips in the LGC through October 2014
• Install SURs from Lava Falls to Diamond Creek
• Release more sonic “Judas” fish – above Diamond Creek??
• Sampling from Lava falls downstream to Lake Mead
• Continue RBS monitoring at the CRI
– Weekly Feb-May (telemetry-netting-larval)
– Monthly Jun-Jan (telemetry)
Thank You!!
American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers
Rich Valdez and
Paul Holden