2009 Area report for the Lower Colorado River Basin

Authors: Pamela J. Sponholtz, Jeff A. Sorensen, Jeremy Voeltz, Luke A. Avery, Brian D. Healy, Brandon Albrecht, Yvette Paroz, Glen Knowles

Year: 2009 (xli)

Abstract

In 2009, conservation of native fishes within the Lower Colorado River Basin was marked by continued efforts to recovery Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache) in the White Mountains, large-scale stream restoration projects such as Bonita Creek and a hopeful upswing in one of the six remnant populations of humpback chub (Gila cypha) in Grand Canyon. Restoration projects completed in Fossil Creek entered the next phase of renovation and actively stocked six species of listed fishes as well as opened an historic native fishery highlighting roundtail (Gila robusta) and headwater chub (Gila nigra). A new spawning ground for razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus near Needles, CA continued to flourish and bonytail chub (Gila elegans) were documented in the Bill Williams River on the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge.