2019 Bonneville Basin coordinator update

Authors: Drew Dittmer

Year: 2019

Abstract

The 2019 Bonneville Basin Update will focus on the following three projects: 1) Snake Valley Hydrologic Monitoring: Wetlands in Snake Valley serve as critical habitat for at least five of Utah’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need, including four species threatened by groundwater withdrawal. Utah Geologic Survey has developed a network of shallow wells to document baseline hydrologic conditions in these wetlands. Utah Geologic Survey and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are uploading and processing the 10th year of pressure transducer data and producing a final report with a summary of existing data and recommendations for the future of the monitoring network. 2) Soda ash control of Green Sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus, and restocking Least Chub, Iotichthys phlegethontis At the Desert Fishes Council meeting in 2018 the United States Geologic Survey reported on the use sodium carbonate to manipulate pH levels in aquatic habitats and kill unwanted Green Sunfish (L. cyanellus). It was reported that pH returned to normal levels within 4 days. In the late summer of 2019 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources trialed this method to remove invasive Green Sunfish from a pond in Box Elder County. Following a successful treatment, this pond will be stocked with native Least Chub. The potential and primary benefit of this method vs more traditional chemical eradication is that the pond can be restocked sooner after a sodium carbonate treatment. 3) Springsnails (Pyrgulopsis) Conservation Agreement and Strategy and the 3 Pyrgulopsis spp. Status Assessment Mollusks (including gastropods and bivalves) are one of the most imperiled group of organisms in North America. Their taxonomy, historical and current locations, and life history traits are not well understood. Prioritizing the monitoring and conservation of the 154 species of native mollusks in Utah has become a priority in preserving and gaining knowledge of these rare and sensitive species to preclude future Endangered Species Act listings.