Oregon / Northern California Area Report

Authors: Paul Scheerer, Stephanie Miller, Stewart B. Reid, Douglas Markle, Kendra Hoekzema, Roger Smith, Marci Schreder

Year: 2011 (xliii)

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, in six subbasins in SE Oregon, 2) estimated Warner Sucker, Catostomus warnerensis, abundance in Honey Creek and at Summer Lake Wildlife Area, 3) obtained a population estimate for Borax Lake Chub, Gila boraxobius, in the Alvord subbasin, 4) obtained a population estimate and evaluate habitat conditions for Foskett Spring Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus ssp., in Foskett and Dace Springs. Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, continued to: 1) suppress nonnative fishes from Modoc Sucker, Catostomus microps, habitats in Modoc County, 2) work on lamprey systematics / distribution in the Pit/Goose/Klamath basins, and worked with Jason Baumsteiger (UC- Merced) on western sculpin phylogenetics project, including Pit Sculpins, Cottus pitensis. 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 (OSU) with help from Paul Scheerer (ODFW) continued collections of fish for a study of the taxonomy and distribution of Alvord and Borax Lake Chub in the Alvord basin. 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. Roger Smith (ODFW) and the Miller Lake Lamprey Science Team collected Miller Lake Lamprey, Entosphenus minimus, from Miller Creek in the Klamath River subbasin and re-introduced them into Evening Creek, Miller Lake, and Miller Lake below the lake outlet. The team also conducted a survey of Miller Creek and collected maturing lamprey. The team will also sample Miller Lake later this fall to look for evidence of lamprey predation on trout. The Lake County Watershed Council completed several watershed enhancement projects in the Goose Lake subbasin including fish passage and riparian fencing projects.