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