Razorback sucker at the Colorado inflow of Lake Mead: lessons from the past and looking to the future

Authors: Ronald B. Kegerries, Brandon Albrecht, Paul Holden

Year: 2010 (xlii)

Abstract

Efforts to locate razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and document recruitment on Lake Mead have been ongoing for the past 14 years. Previous studies indicate that razorback sucker tend to aggregate and spawn near inflow areas throughout the lake and suggest that cover in the form of turbidity and/or inundated vegetation perhaps aid in successful recruitment. Based on these past studies and recommendations brought before the Lake Mead Razorback Sucker Workgroup, efforts to locate razorback sucker in the Colorado Inflow of Lake Mead commenced in 2010. Methods including sonic telemetry, larval sampling, and trammel netting were used to assess the presence or absence of razorback sucker in this understudied area of Lake Mead. In total three adult and seven larval razorback sucker were collected documenting the presence of razorback sucker in the Colorado Inflow area of Lake Mead. Lessons learned from previous efforts allowed for early success in this endeavor; however, there is still much to be studied and questions to answer regarding this unique population. The methods employed during this study and the knowledge gained from previous studies on razorback sucker in Lake Mead may have implications basin-wide for this endangered sucker.