Upper Colorado Basin Area Report (2012)

Authors: Matthew J. Breen

Year: 2012 (xliv)

Abstract

Activities continue in an effort to improve the status of imperiled native fishes of the upper Colorado River basin. These activities are guided principally by four programs: the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, the Range-wide Conservation Agreement for the Colorado River cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus, and the Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for the roundtail chub, Gila robusta, bluehead sucker, Catostomus discobolus, and flannelmouth sucker, C. latipinnis. The two recovery programs, which collectively work towards the recovery of Colorado pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus lucius, razorback sucker, Xyrauchen texanus, bonytail, G. elegans, and humpback chub, G. cypha, use the protection of in-stream flow, habitat restoration, nonnative fish control, propagation, life history monitoring, and information and education to bring benefits to the four ‘big river fishes.’ Examples of recent efforts include continued research into the use of floodplain habitats and increased effort towards removal of problematic nonnative species. Renovation of trout streams and reintroduction of the Colorado River cutthroat trout continues in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Research into the movement and life history needs of the roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, and flannelmouth sucker continues in many locations in the upper basin. Following one of the wettest years on record, extreme drought conditions in the upper basin in 2012 have presented many challenges, most notably; widespread wildfires and subsequent flashfloods led to large-scale fish kills in several important drainages that serve as strongholds for native species.