One species, two river systems: the status of Virgin River Chub, Gila seminuda, in the Virgin and Muddy rivers, Arizona and Nevada.

Authors: Ronald Rogers, Brandon Albrecht, Ronald B. Kegerries, Zachary Shattuck, David J. Syzdek

Year: 2013 (xlv)

Abstract

In 1989, the Virgin River population of Virgin River Chub (Gila seminuda) was federally listed as an endangered species. However, because the Muddy River population of Virgin River Chub was thought to be a separate species at the time, no federal listing was extended (USFWS 2000). While the Virgin River Chub population in the Muddy River was later classified as a sensitive species in the state of Nevada, the species as a whole remains one of the rarest native fishes in the Southwest (USFWS 2000). In 2000, 140.8 river kilometers of the Virgin River where designated as critical habitat for Virgin River Chub from LaVerkin Creek, Utah to Halfway Wash, Nevada (USFWS 2000). Because the Virgin River Chub population in the Muddy River has no formal federal recognition, no critical habitat has been designated in that river system and many are unaware of the species’ existence in this interesting and secondary system. In recent years (2007-2013), monitoring and research to better understand Virgin River Chub population dynamics and movements within both the Virgin and Muddy Rivers has collectively helped increase the overall understanding of this species. Future data collections will help to underscore the importance of both populations within a broader context, and aid managers in understanding, protecting, and ultimately recovering this interesting species.