Native fish conservation, and management in the upper/middle Rio Grande basin, Pecos River, Canadian River, Tularosa and Guzman basins, New Mexico during 2007 and 2008.

Authors: Stephen R. Davenport, James E. Brooks, W. Jason Remshardt, David L. Propst, Nikolas D. Zymonas, Stephanie M. Carman, Steven P. Platania, W. Howard Brandenburg

Year: 2008 (xl)

Abstract

Native fish conservation in New Mexico is accomplished through long term monitoring of protected species, captive propagation, stream restoration, salvage of fish from dry river reaches, and interagency water management. Long term monitoring programs track abundance of Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) in the Rio Grande, New Mexico, Pecos bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus pecosensis), gray redhorse sucker (Moxostoma congestum), and blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in the Pecos River, New Mexico. Rio Grande silvery minnow were salvaged from dry river sections by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. The wild population was augmented with propagated fish from Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center and Albuquerque Biological Park. Bigscale logperch (Percina macrolepida) monitoring begun by USFWS in 2007 continues in 2008. A Pecos River restoration project at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge will reconnect oxbows to river flow, remove salt cedar and reconnect river to floodplain. The Rio Costilla watershed (Carson National Forest) restoration begun in 2007 continued in 2008. The project goal is to re-establish Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis), Rio Grande sucker (Catostomus plebeius), and Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora) to the watershed. The Canadian River fish community was monitored by ASIR and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Sampling provides status information for four protected species: sucker mouth minnow (Phenacobius mirabilis), southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster), Arkansas River speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis tetranemus), and Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi). In the Tularosa basin, yearly monitoring of White Sands pupfish continued into year thirteen, and the status of the fish is stable. The University of New Mexico, Department of Biology conducted genetic research on the Mimbres River fish community including the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Rio Grande silvery minnow and Pecos bluntnose shiner.