Oregon / Northern California area report to the Desert Fishes Council, November 2019

Authors: Alan Mauer, Brian Sidlauskas, Marci Schreder, Justin Miles, Fred Monzyk, Richard Pyzik, Benjamin Nicholas

Year: 2019

Abstract

The Oregon/Northern California Area Report includes activities to report to the council from the northwestern extreme of the desert region which includes several endorheic or terminal lake basins in Oregon, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada (Fort Rock, Chewaucan, Goose, Warner, Catlow, Alvord, Malheur, Coyote lakes, and Quinn River basins). This region supports remnant fish faunas that once inhabited extensive pluvial Pleistocene lakes. In 2019, OSU and other investigators are re-evaluating the taxonomy of the Torrent Sculpin, Cottus rhotheus, across the Pacific Northwest, including parts of Oregon’s desert. There are three genetically, geographically and morphologically distinct entities within the current concept of this species, meaning the species may be split taxonomically. The lab is testing whether Cottus gulosus and Cottus perplexus are distinct species in Oregon. That means that the range of the “true” Torrent Sculpin in Oregon is less extensive than currently conceived. Lake County Umbrella Watershed Council (LCUWC) along with several partner organizations and agencies have formed the Warner Basin Aquatic Habitat Partnership to develop fish passage solutions for Warner Suckers, Catostonus wasrnerensis, Redband Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and other aquatic life. The LCUWC designed, planned, and implemented projects benefiting Warner Sucker and Redband Trout. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Lakeview District provided updated information on Redband Trout surveys conducted in the Warner and Abert lakes basins. ODFW also conducted a population estimate of Foskett Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus, in 2019 and observed an estimated population change from 4,279 (95% CI 3,878 to 4,782) in 2017 to 9,493 (95% CI 9,265 to 9,740) in 2019. The Fremont-Winema National Forest, Eastside Fish Program reported completion of several aquatic habitat restoration projects on the upper Sycan, and North Fork Sprague Rivers as well as several smaller tributary streams. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed to remove the Borax Lake Chub, Siphateles boraxobius, from the ESA list February 26, 2019. Comments were received from peer reviewers and the public. The final decision will publish in the Federal Register approximately one year from the proposal. The FWS also finalized a rule to remove the Foskett Speckled Dace from the list on September 13, 2019.