Native fish conservation and management in the upper/middle Rio Grande, Pecos River, Canadian River, Tularosa and Guzman basins, New Mexico during 2017

Authors: Eliza Gilbert, Robert Dudley, Tyler Pilger, Thomas Turner, Yvette Paroz, Carter Kruse, Joanna Hatt, Bryan Bakevich, Martha Cooper, Brock Huntsman, Colleen Caldwell, Timothy Frey, Megan Osborne

Year: 2017 (xlix)

Abstract

In 2017 research, conservation planning, habitat restoration, population augmentation and repatriation, and population monitoring by a number of federal, state, university, and private entities - such as Turner Endangered Species Fund, American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers, and The Nature Conservancy - greatly contributed to management of native fishes in New Mexico In the Rio Grande (RG) Basin this included habitat creation for, and repatriation and augmentation of, RG Cutthroat Trout, the southernmost subspecies of cutthroat trout Research on this subspecies secondary production rates (biomass accumulation) and water temperature variation identified a potentially shifting thermal bottleneck, important to consider as the climate continues to change Other efforts in the basin focues on RG Chub (RGC) and RG Sucker (RGS) and has resulted in a multi-state, tribal, federal, and private entity Conservation Agreement for the two species The plan is currently being finalized and includes repatriation Collection of RGC and RGS tissues for assaying eDNA markers has resulted in a reliable and sensitive marker for RGC while development is ongoing for RGS Considering both species are wide-ranging and there is limited information on their distribution, life history, and habitat needs, the development of these markers will greatly assist in the species’ conservation Habitat restoration for both species is occurring in the RG and Guzman basins, which is some places is also benefitting Longnose Dace, Chihuahua Chub, and Chihuahua Leopard Frog The RG Sucker is wide-ranging in New Mexico and population monitoring and genetic analysis shows a high level of diversity and evidence for historical transcontinental introductions Two decades of systematic sampling for the RG Silvery Minnow (RGSM) in the middle RG Basin continues to document fluctuations in this imperiled species However, 2016 sampling resulted in one of the highest density estimates and ecological modeling revealed that changes in density were reliably predicted by river flows with extended high flows crucial in explaining elevated RGSM densities and low summer flows, low levels of occupancy Genetic effective size also increased in 2017 reflecting the greater population stability from 2016-2017 The small, endorheic, Tularosa Basin has the White Sands Pupfish, for which a new monitoring protocol has been developed and implemented The basin also has Longnose Dace Surveys in Tularosa Creek document the species continued presence Two rare minnows, Peppered Chub and Arkansas River Shiner, are found in the Arkansas River of the Canadian River Basin A Species Status Assessment which will consider both species is currently underway and population and genetic monitoring continues In the upper portion of the Canadian River Basin riparian restoration and fish assemblage monitoring is occurring in conjunction with partnering universities In conjunction with high school students, genetic data from RG chub populations in Rio Mora, a Canadian River drainage stream, is being assessed to determine whether this population shows a greater affinity to the Canadian or Pecos River drainage Barrier upgrades and construction in the Pecos River Basin is protecting native fishes from Sheepshead Minnow invasion After five years, of translocating Gray Redhorse into the Pecos River Basin’s Delaware River reproduction and recruitment to the juvenile life-stage has been documented Water intermittency and temperature data loggers were installed in the Delaware River These will provide habitat information allowing managers to effectively support and sustain this repatriated population