A Second Translocation of Endangered Humpback Chub, Gila cypha, and Monitoring of Fish Community in Shinumo Creek, Grand Canyon National Park

Authors: Brian D. Healy, Emily Omana, Melissa Trammell, William Leibfried, Jon Spurgeon

Year: 2010 (xlii)

Abstract

In 2010, the National Park Service partnered with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Reclamation, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Museum of Northern Arizona to translocate endangered humpback chub, Gila cypha, into Shinumo Creek in Grand Canyon National Park. Three hundred humpback chub originally collected from the Little Colorado River were released into Shinumo Creek in June 2010; 300 were also released into the creek in 2009. In addition to translocation, the primary goals of this project were to: 1) monitor the distribution, abundance, survival, and growth of humpback chub translocated in 2009 and 2010; 2) obtain population estimates for the fish community in Shinumo Creek; and 3) remove non-native rainbow trout, Onchorynchus mykiss. A total of 95 unique humpback chub were collected in 2010; 36 of these were translocated to Shinumo Creek in 2009. Four translocated humpback chub were recaptured below the barrier falls that separates Shinumo Creek from the mainstem Colorado River. Humpback chub translocated in 2010 grew an average of 8.22 mm/month (0.27 mm/day, n= 60). Annual growth in Shinumo Creek was determined from humpback chub translocated in 2009 and averaged 2.68 mm/month (0.09 mm/day, n= 23). We obtained population estimates using mark recapture efforts with mini hoop nets and minnow traps and 3 pass depletions with backpack electrofishers in areas outside of the translocation reach. A total of 908 rainbow trout were removed from Shinumo Creek in 2010 by angling, mini hoop nets, minnow traps, and backpack electrofishers.