Native and Exotic Fishes of the Watershed by Dan Potts, SLCF&GA

Ecology, Politics, Projects, Events, Economics, Endangered and Extinct , etc., and Implications for the Jordan River Watershed Council

ALPINE LAKES & STREAMS

NPS photo

NPS photo

MID-ELEVATION RESERVOIRS

MID-ELEVATION STREAMS

NFS photo

NFS photo

Oregon Fish &Wildlife photo UDWR photo

UTAH LAKE

UDWR photo JSRIP/SLCF&GA EVENTS

JORDAN RIVER By unknown

Native and Exotic Fishes of the Jordan River Watershed By Dan Potts, Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association Revised 1/2013 NOTE: All photos by Dan Potts, unless otherwise noted

Slide Subject Comments 1 Presentation Title Page Jordan River Habitats Moving from top to bottom of basin 2 Uinta Mountain Alpine Lake, Provo River 3 Upper-elevation stream, Strawberry River 4 Upper-elevation reservoir, Upper Stillwater Dam 5 Mid-elevation reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir 6 Lower-elevation reservoir, Deer Creek Reservoir 7 Mid-elevation stream, Provo River, Midway 8 Modified natural lake, Lake 9 Lower-elevation stream, Jordan River, 22nd North 10 Bottom of basin, , Willard 11 Alpine Lakes & Streams Title Page Upper Provo River 12 Arctic Grayling, Marjorie Reservoir, Provo River 13 Arctic Grayling, Weir Reservoir, Provo River 14 Brook Trout National Park Service photo 15 Brook Trout, Upper Provo River 16 Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout National Park Service photo 17 Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Pot Reservoir 18 Golden Trout Unknown photographer 19 Mid-elevation Reservoirs Title Page Strawberry Reservoir, Aspen Grove 20 Rainbow Trout, Strawberry Reservoir 21 Rainbows being stocked, Hatchery Truck Shoot Strawberry Reservoir 22 Rainbow Trout/ Deer Creek Reservoir Angler, Valerie Gillete 23 Rainbow Trout/Young Girl 24 Bonneville Cutthroat Trout/Cisco, 25 Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, Strawberry Reservoir Angler, John Schultz 26 Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, City Creek 27 Cut-bow, City Creek Hybrid Cutthroat X Rainbow Trout 28 Tiger Trout, East Shingle Creek Lake 29 (10) Kokanee Salmon/(1) Bonneville Cutthroat Strawberry Reservoir, Aspen Grove 30 Kokanee Salmon, Strawberry Reservoir Angler, Edward Stott 31 Utah Chub, Strawberry Reservoir 32 Utah Chub, Strawberry Reservoir 33 Utah Chub, Strawberry Reservoir spawning 34 Smallmouth Bass, Deer Creek Reservoir 35 Smallmouth Bass, SLCF&GA member Continued Native and Exotic Fishes of the Jordan River Watershed, Potts, 1/2013 cont., page 2 of 4

Slide Subject Comments 36 Yellow Perch, Deer Creek Reservoir Ice fished 37 (2) Yellow Perch Unknown photographer 38 (10) Yellow Perch, Deer Creek Reservoir Ice fished 39 Mid-Elevation Streams Title Page Provo River 40 Brown Trout Unknown photographer 41 Brown Trout, Provo River 42 (2) Brown Trout/(1) Mountain Whitefish Angler, Dan Potts (young…) 43 Rocky Mountain Whitefish, Provo River 44 Rocky Mountain Whitefish, Provo River 45 Winter Fishing for Mountain Whitefish Angler, Paul Dremann 46 , Provo River 47 Utah Sucker, Provo River Unknown photographer 48 Mountain Sucker Unknown photographer 49 Mottled Sculpin Unknown photographer 50 Mottled Sculpin Unknown photographer 51 Mottled Sculpin Unknown photographer 52 Brook Trout regurgitating Mottled Sculpin Unknown photographer 53 Mottled Sculpin, Jordanelle Reservoir Ice fished 54 Redside Shiner Oregon Fish & Wildlife photo 55 Leatherside Chub Utah Div. Wildlife Resources photo 56 Leatherside Chub habitat, Provo River Heber Valley 57 Title Page 58 June Sucker, Provo River Russ Findlay 59 June Sucker, Provo River Artificial spawning 60 Unknown photographer 61 Fighting Common Carp, Deer Creek Res. Norma Benson (Dan’s mom) 62 Common Carp, Deer Creek Reservoir 63 (3) Common Carp/(2) Black Bullhead Karen Potts & cousins, Utah Duck Club 64 Seine net full of Common Carp Rudy Duck Club 65 Common Carp/(4) White Bass, Utah Lake Loy Fisheries 66 Billy Loy, Utah Lake commercial fisher 67 Loy Fisheries crew deploying seine Utah Lake, Goshen Bay 68 High water levels on Utah Lake, 2011 , North Jetty 69 White Bass Unknown photographer 70 White Bass/Pocket knife, Jordan River 71 White Bass, Goggin Drain 72 White Bass, Utah Lake 73 White Bass/unknown anglers, Utah Lake Utah Lake State Park 74 (13) White Bass, Utah Lake Ice fished 75 Loy Fisheries harvesting White Bass Utah Lake, Goshen Bay Continued Native and Exotic Fishes of the Jordan River Watershed, Potts, 1/2013 cont. , page 3 of 4

Slide Subject Comments 76 Fishing student with White Bass Utah Lake, American Fork Harbor 77 Channel Catfish Unknown photographer 78 (2) Channel Catfish, Utah Lake, Provo River Inlet 79 Stringer of small Channel Catfish Tiffany Chambers (Dan’s niece) 80 (4) Small Channel Catfish 81 Stringer of Channel Catfish/Black bullhead Kendall Bowman’s children 82 Stringer of large Channel Catfish/Common Carp Dan Potts, Utah Lake, Lincoln Beach 83 Black Bullhead (catfish) Unknown photographer 84 Black Bullhead/young angler, Utah Lake Utah Lake Festival 85 Basket full of Black Bullhead Utah Lake State Park 86 Black Crappie Unknown photographer 87 Black Crappie, Utah Lake Utah Lake State Park 88 Cooler full of Black Crappie & few White Bass 89 Bluegill (sunfish)/White Bass, Utah Lake American Fork Boat Harbor 90 Bluegill Unknown photographer 91 Bluegill/Entheos Fishing Student, Willow Pond Community Fishery 92 Bluegill/Entheos Fishing Student, Willow Pond Community Fishery 93 Green Sunfish Unknown photographer 94 Green Sunfish in aquarium 95 /Black Crappie in sink 96 Stringers of Walleye, Utah Lake, Lincoln Beach Dan Potts/Chuck Hodges 97 Walleye/unknown angler, Utah Lake Utah Lake State Park 98 Largemouth Bass, Utah Lake 99 (2) Largemouth Bass/salamander, Lake Powell 100 Largemouth Bass/unknown angler, Utah Lake Lincoln Beach Marina 101 Largemouth Bass, Utah Lake/bass angler Cal Robertson 102 Largemouth Bass/Entheos Fishing Student Willow Pond 103 Northern Pike, Bluegill, Crappie, White Bass Utah Lake State Park 104 Western Mosquitofish Unknown photographer 105 (3) Female Western Mosquitofish, Jordan River Winchester Park Pond 106 School of Western Mosquitofish, Liberty Lake 107 Male Fathead Minnow Unknown photographer 108 Goldfish 109 Longnose Dace Unknown photographer 110 Speckled Dace Unknown photographer 111 Male Southern Plains Killifish Unknown photographer 112 Oriental Weatherfish (Loach) Unknown photographer 113 Mallard with Weatherfish, Carp, (4) Mosquitofish 114 Golden Shiner Unknown photographer 115 Remains of Clown Knifefish, Utah Lake Knolls Continued Native and Exotic Fishes of the Jordan River Watershed, Potts, 1/2013 cont. , page 4 of 4

Slide Subject Comments 116 Clown Knifefish Unknown photographer 117 Angler with Clown Knifefish Unknown photographer 118 Specimens of Extinct Utah Lake Sculpin Utah Div. Wildlife Resources photo 119 JSRIP/SLCF&GA Events Title Page American Fork Marina 120 SLCF&GA checking out fishing equipment Utah Lake Festival, State Park 121 SLCF&GA teaching children to fish Utah Lake Festival, State Park 122 SLCF&GA teaching children to fish Utah Lake Festival, State Park 123 Mess of Utah Lake fishes Ice fished 124 Angler fishing Jordan River, Winchester Park 125 Tree Utah Volunteers planning restoration work Jordan River at 90th South 126 Jordan River Title Page Jordan River near Sports Complex 127 Partially flooded Sports Complex property Unknown photographer 128 SLC Public Utilities filling GSL floodplain Regional Sports Complex Property

Native and Exotic Fishes of the Jordan River Watershed By Dan Potts, Salt Lake County Fish and Game Association Revised 1/2013

1) These species are not listed in any phylogenetic or evolutionary order, rather, they are listed in a rough order starting with their occurrence in higher elevation alpine headwater areas and progressing downstream (and lower in elevation) to the Great Salt Lake, and also in order of population numbers. Many species can be found over a wide elevation range. 2) I counted 25 exotic introduced species, only 11 native species, and one extinct native species, the Utah Lake sculpin Cottus echinatus. 3) It is also significant that the race of Bonneville cutthroat trout (the Utah State Fish) that once inhabited Utah Lake is now also considered extinct, although genes of this strain may still exist in other Oncorhychus residing in streams and lakes along the Wasatch Mountains.

Common Name Scientific Binomial Native / Status & comments *Sport and/or food fish (and subspecies) Exotic Natural reproduction=NR; Stocked=S; Common=C; Rare=R ALPINE WATERS All four species are introduced exotics. Arctic Grayling* Tymallus arcticus Exotic NR, locally abundant but tends to stunt Brook Trout* Salvelinus fontinalis Exotic NR, S, C, aggressive, tends to stunt Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout* Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri Exotic NR, S, C, natural hybrids Golden Trout* Oncorhynchus aquabonita Exotic NR, R (Echo Lake, Provo River Drainage?) MID-ELEV. RESERVOIRS Only two of the six species are natives. Rainbow Trout* Oncorhynchus mykiss Exotic S, some natural reproduction and natural hybrids Bonneville Cutthroat Trout* Oncorhynchus clarki utah Native NR, versatile, well adapted Sockeye salmon (Kokanee)* Oncorhynchus nerka Exotic NR, S, landlocked race in Strawberry Reservoir only Utah Chub* Gila atraria Native NR, well adapted, competes with salmonids Smallmouth Bass* Micropterus dolomieu Exotic NR, common in only Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs Yellow Perch* Perca flavescens Exotic NR, C, gregarious MID-ELEV. STREAMS Six of the seven species are natives. Brown Trout* Salmo trutta Exotic NR, versatile, well adapted, aggressive Mountain Whitefish* Prosopium williamsoni Native NR, declining in Jordan Watershed Utah Sucker Catostomus ardens Native NR, versatile, well adapted Mountain Sucker Catostomus platyrhynchus Native NR, small prey, declining Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdi Native NR, small prey, declining Bonneville Redside Shiner Richardsonius balteatus Native NR, small prey Leatherside Chub Gila copei Native NR, R, small prey, declining, threatened Common Name Scientific Binomial Native / Status & comments *Sport and/or food fish (and subspecies) Exotic Natural reproduction=NR; Stocked=S; Common=C; Rare=R LOWLAND WATERS June Sucker liorus Native S, R, Federally listed Endangered Species (Recovery Program) Common Carp* Cyprinius carpio Exotic NR, C, destroys habitat, stunted in Utah Lake (removal project) White Bass* Morone chrysops Exotic NR, C, problematic predator, tends to stunt, gregarious Channel Catfish* Ictalurus punctatus Exotic NR, C Black Bullhead (Catfish)* Ameiurus melas Exotic NR, C, populations tends to cycle, gregarious Black Crappie* Pomoxis nigromaculatus Exotic NR, C, populations tends to cycle, often suspended, gregarious Bluegill (Sunfish)* Lepomis macrochirus Exotic NR, C, gregarious Green Sunfish* Lepomis cyanellus Exotic NR, complex habitat Walleye* Zander ______Exotic NR Largemouth Bass* Micropterus salmoides Exotic NR Northern Pike Esox lucius Exotic NR, recently introduced in Utah Lake, rare but increasing Western Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis affinis Exotic NR, C, gregarious, problematic small predator Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas Exotic NR, small prey, populations tends to cycle Goldfish Carassius auratus Exotic NR, R Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractae Native NR, R, small prey, declining Bonneville Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus carringtoni Native NR, R, small prey, declining Plains Killifish Fundulus zebrinus Exotic NR, small prey (only found upstream of Mona Reservoir) Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Exotic introduced into Utah Lake decades ago, now suspected extinct Oriental Weatherfish Misgurnus anguillcaudatus Exotic NR, recently introduced, rare but increasing

NOTE: I find it interesting that over the past 150 years fishes including Chinook salmon, American eel, arctic grayling, lake trout, and many others, have been introduced into the extremely shallow and turbid waters of Utah Lake. Many these exotic species introductions have not established themselves in our watershed because they have simply not been well adapted to the arduous living conditions found here in the Great Basin. Interestingly, an angler did later catch a three foot eel in the Jordan River. My recent discovery of a dead Indonesian clown knifefish on the shoreline of Utah Lake reminds all of us that new introductions continue to endanger our already declining native fish fauna, as this species is known to reach lengths of more than three feet, and are known by anglers to be very aggressive. The Utah Lake sculpin is considered to be only native fish species known to have gone extinct in Utah. It probably died out due to poor water quality conditions resulting from the combination of the negative effects of Utah’s own “dust bowl”, that filled in the bottom of the lake with approximately three feet of eroded silt off of adjacent farm fields (the result of poor land use practices), and the damming of the lake’s Jordan River outlet to convert the lake into a water storage reservoir. It is encouraging that virtually all of Utah Lake’s sport/food fishes almost never go “off-flavor” (like many in other lakes in the state), the result of the lake’s turbidity, which reduces the algal blooms typically associated with the problem by shading out the sunlight needed by algae.