Removal of a desert pupfish Cyprinodon macularius population from temporary ponds at the Salton Sea

Authors: Sharon D. Keeney, Michael T. Walker, Valerie E. Thomas, John J. Crayon

Year: 2010 (xlii)

Abstract

From 2006 to 2010, the Bureau of Reclamation funded the construction, operation and maintenance of an experimental 120-acre pond complex which used blended water from the Salton Sea and the Alamo River. Although steps were taken to exclude fish, desert pupfish Cyprinodon macularius appeared in the ponds after the first year of operation. As the ponds were scheduled for decommissioning, a multi-agency crew was organized to salvage the fish. The crew worked for three weeks, trapping, dip-netting and seining fish for transport from the ponds. As fish became more concentrated in the receding waters, daily catches went from dozens, to hundreds, to thousands of fish. By the time the operation was completed on August 5, 2010, over one million salvaged desert pupfish had been distributed to wild populations and refuge pond populations. The result of the operation has important implications for desert pupfish sampling methods and management strategies.