Mechanical Removal of Invasive Ameiurus natalis to Support Native Fish Restoration in Bonita Creek, Arizona.

Authors: Alicia Rifkin, Eren Roach, Wesley Franklin, Matthew Mayer, Heidi Blasius

Year: 2025

Abstract

Bonita Creek, a tributary of the Gila River near Safford in southeastern Arizona, supports a diverse assemblage of native fish species and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management to promote native fish conservation. Approximately 15 miles of the creek, downstream of the boundary with the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, are mostly perennial and currently provide habitat for native species, including Gila Chub Gila intermedia, Sonora Sucker Catostomus insignis, Longfin Dace Agosia chrysogaster, Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus, Desert Sucker Pantosteus clarkii, and Gila Topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis. A key management goal is the establishment and recovery of other imperiled species: Spikedace Meda fulgida, Loach Minnow Tiaroga cobitis, and Desert Pupfish Cyprinodon macularius. However, the presence of the invasive Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, first detected in 2011 in lower Bonita Creek, poses a significant threat to native fish through predation and competition. In response, mechanical removal efforts using backpack electrofishing and baited trapping have been implemented. These efforts aim to fully extirpate Yellow Bullhead from Bonita Creek by the end of 2025, thereby enhancing conditions for native fish restoration and long-term ecosystem resilience.