Development of a routine monitoring schedule for Roundtail Chub in Arizona

Authors: Zachary Beard

Year: 2021

Abstract

Roundtail Chub Gila robusta are considered a tier 1A species of greatest conservation need by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and have been considered a candidate for listing in the lower Colorado River Basin under the Endangered Species Act. In addition, there are two major conservation agreements that have been in place since 2004 and 2007 that ensure continued conservation efforts for Roundtail Chub in Arizona. However, despite the conservation concerns for Roundtail Chub, routine monitoring of extant populations has been sporadic for the past decade or more, resulting in information gaps about extant populations. To address this problem the Arizona Game and Fish Department worked to develop a routine monitoring schedule for all extant Roundtail Chub populations in Arizona through 2030. Populations were placed on a rotating schedule of being sampled once every 2, 3, or 5 years depending on the status of the population from a previous status assessment completed in 2014 or based on more recent survey data. Some populations were also placed on an annual monitoring schedule for specific management purposes (e.g., new introduction). In addition to the monitoring schedule, a standard sampling protocol was developed by Arizona Game and Fish Department staff for use during routine monitoring surveys for Roundtail Chub. The completion of this monitoring schedule and protocol has improved standardization of survey efforts for Roundtail Chub in Arizona and information collected using these new protocols has been used to update the 3 Species Rangewide Conservation database and to inform efforts to complete a Species Status Assessment for Roundtail Chub in the lower Colorado River Basin. With the increased frequency and standardization of Roundtail Chub monitoring efforts in Arizona, managers will better be able to make informed management decisions about the conservation of Roundtail Chub.