Oregon / Northern California Area Report, November 2010

Authors: Paul Scheerer, Jimmy Leal, Alan Mauer, Stewart B. Reid, Douglas Markle, Brian Sidlauskis, Stephanie Miller, Paul Divine

Year: 2010 (xlii)

Abstract

The northwestern extreme of the desert region includes several endorheic drainage subbasins in Oregon, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada (Fort Rock, Chewaucan, Goose, Warner, Catlow, Alvord, Malheur Lakes, Coyote Lakes, and Quinn). This region supports remnant fish faunas that once inhabited extensive pluvial Pleistocene lakes. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: 1) conducted distribution surveys and obtained population estimates for Interior redband trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, at 273 locations in six subbasins in SE Oregon, 2) estimated relative lake abundance, operated a downstream migrant screw trap, fished larval traps, and monitored movements of PIT-tagged and radio-tagged Warner suckers, Catostomus warnerensis, in the Warner subbasin, 3) obtained a population estimate for Borax Lake chub, Gila boraxobius, in the Alvord subbasin, 4) introduced Foskett Spring speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus ssp., into Dace Springs, 5) marked Foskett Spring speckled dace in the Warner subbasin for an ageing validation study, and 6) reintroduced Miller Lake lamprey into Miller Lake and Evening Creek, an historic spawning tributary. Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, continued to: 1) suppress nonnative fishes from Modoc sucker, Catostomus microps, habitats in Modoc County and 2) work on lamprey systematics / distribution in the Pit/Goose/Klamath basins. Drs. Doug Markle, Oregon State University (OSU), and Stewart Reid synthesized available taxonomic data and photo-documented listed or list-able Oregon desert fishes for a book-in-progress ‘Freshwater fishes of Oregon’. Dr. Markle, David Simon, and Mark Terwilliger (OSU) studied Klamath sucker recruitment and larval retention in Upper Klamath Lake. Mark Terwilliger (OSU) conducted non-lethal ageing and ageing validation of Warner suckers and Foskett speckled dace. Daryl Bingham (BLM), Travis Neal (OSU), and Dr. Markle initiated a study of the taxonomy and distribution of Alvord and Borax Lake chub in the Alvord basin. Dr. Brian Sidlauskas and Kendra Hoekzema (OSU), in collaboration with BLM and ODFW, initiated a study of species limits and population structure in speckled daces across the arid drainages of Oregon using phylogenetics, microsatellite analysis, and morphometrics. The work will produce a systematic assessment of the taxonomic status of the threatened Foskett speckled dace, reveal patterns of genetic connectivity across the landscape, and test for the presence of cryptic species or subspecies. The California Department of Fish and Game’s Heritage and Wild Trout Program: 1) conducted fish surveys for Inland redband trout and nonnative trout on 24 streams in the Goose, Upper Pit River, and Surprise Basins to describe their distribution and to collect tissue samples for genetic analysis, and 2) evaluated habitat at 16 lakes/reservoirs in the Goose, Upper Pit River, and Surprise Basins for native ranid frogs (Oregon spotted frog and northern leopard frogs). Most sites either lacked suitable physical habitat basis or contained non-native predators; no ranid frogs were observed at 10 sites.