•UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Division of Fishery Services Phoenix, Arizona

Progress Report

• FISHERY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Black and Salt Rivers Ft. Apache and San Carlos Apache Indian ,Reservations Arizona January 21, 1966

February 3, 1966 Initial Report

Black and Salt Rivers Ft. Apache and San Carlos Apache Indian Reservations Arizona

Introduction

During the past several years, the Bureau of Sport'Fisheries'and Wildlife, in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, has-intensified its fishery managementi assistance to the Ft. Apache and San Carlos Indian Reservations. During this period many reports summarizing fishery management activities have been submitted. None, however, has dealt with the important Black and Salt Rivers or their fishery potential. This report summarizes the- results of preliminary fishery investigations on the Salt and Black Rivers, including fishery potentials, and Is directed to the Tribal organization and•agencies of the San Carlos and Ft.-Apache Indian Reservations. The Black and Salt Rivers of Arizona flow through some of the most- spectacular canyons of the Southwest. The Salt River Canyon crossing at Highway 60 is often referred to as.the second-Grand Canyon of Arizona, with vividly colored canyon walls rising vertically more than 3,000. feet. The Black River follows a major - - - rift through basalt rock that is often narrow and exceeds 26000 feet in depth in many places. Canyons, alternately widening and boxing, extending from alpine to upper sonorian life zones, are characteristic of the study area Stands of virgin . spruce and ponderosa pine lend beauty to the. canyon rims,andt ln the higher elevations, extend into the.. canyon bottom and intersperse.the side walls. Below Highway 60 crossing_giant.saguaro cactus, yucca., juniperand ocotillo lend further interest to varicolored sedimentary geologic formations of a magnitude and scope seldom available to the view of man. The -Salt and Black Rivers wind through these immense fissures in the earth like minute' threads when viewed from the canyon rims. The aesthetics are best described as a combination of,natural,features having great. impact upon'onels senses of space, color, and distance.

Existing River and Fishery Conditions

The Black and Salt Rivers are in reality one stream. The Salt River is formed by the confluence-of the Black.and White Rivers. The Black and Salt Rivers, which flow in a westerly direction, form the common boundary between the Ft. Apache and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservations (Figure 1). The Ft. Apache Reservation is located north of therivers and the San Carlos Apache Reservation lies on the south side. The Black River originates at an elevation of 10,500 feet in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, approximately 12 miles east of the.Ft. Apache Reservation boundary. Seventy-six miles of the Black River and 32 miles of the:Salt River form the common boundary between the Ft. Apache and San Carlos Indian Reservations. On this distance (108 miles), the Black and Salt River stream bed degrades from 6,800 to 3,000 feet in elevation. An additional 22 miles of the Salt River forms the southern boundary of Ft. Apache, east of the San Carlos Reservation's western boundary (Figure 1). River flows fluctuate greatly throughout the year. Lowest stream flows usually occur in the summer months of June and July. Highest stream flows normally occur during the spring months, March through April, as the result of melting snow. United States Geological Survey records, from data collected at the gauging station located one mile below the Black River pumping station, show that the average discharge rate of the Black River was 153 cfs over an 11-year period ending September 1964. During the period of record from October 1963 to September 1965, the low daily mean flow for a month ranged from 36.6 cfs in January to 407 cfs during April. In this same period, the minimum daily flow was 21 cfs and the maximum daily flow was 960 cfs. The major tributaries to the Black and Salt Rivers from the north, which drain the Ft. Apache Reservation, are Reservation Creek, Pacheta Creek, Big Bonito Creek, White River, Cibeque Creek and Canyon Creek. The major tributaries from the south, which drain the San Carlos Apache Reservation, are Freezeout Creek, East Sawmill Creek, Deer Creek, West Sawmill Creek, and Cienega Creek.

Clear water flows are characteristic in the Black and Salt Rivers during low flow periods. At high flow periods, the Black River in the vicinity of the pumping stion becomes moderately turbid and the Salt River becomes very turbid. Water is diverted in the Black River at the pumping station and pumped into the headwaters of Willow Creek (Gila River Drainage) for mining, metallurgical treat- ment of ores, and domestic supply in the vicinity of Morenci, Arizona. All re- maining water flows to Roosevelt Reservoir, located on the Salt River below the Reservations, where it is impounded and used for irrigation (Salt River Project) in the vicinity of Phoenix, Arizona. Geological Survey records, over a four- year period ending December 31, 1963, show that the amount of water diverted from the Black River at the pumping station ranged from 1,600 acre-feet per year in 1963 to 5,000 acre-feet per year as occurred in 1960 and 1962. The amount of water diverted at the pumping station may be increased in future years. Excessive pumping under low water conditions could endanger dowstream fish popu- lations.

The Black and Salt Rivers on the Reservations lie in a canyon ranging in depth from 300 to 2,000 feet. The Rivers generally meander considerably within the confines of the canyon walls. Large flats of land lie between the bends.of. the Rivers. The bottom lands along the upper 50 miles of the Black River on the Reservations are covered with conifers, predominately ponderosa pine. Lower • on the Black River and on the Salt River, the ponderosa pine gives way.to scrub oak, juniper, and other scrubs. Towards the lower end of the Salt River on the Ft. Apache Reservation, desert-type vegetation prevails. The terrain through which the Black and Salt Rivers flow is extremely rough and is cut by deep side canyons entering the main Black and Salt River. canyons. There are very few access points to the rivers on the Reservations. Fishery information was collected at known access points to the river bottoms...during the survey that began in June 1963. The points of access from the Ft. Apache Reservation to the Black River are as follows: Ten of Diamonds Ranch located near the mouth of Paddy Creek; Old Military Crossing one and one-half miles below the mouth of Big Bonito Creek; Nash Creek Road two miles" south of Georges Basin Tank; and Black River Crossing bridge 14 miles southwest of the town of Ft. Apache. Access to the Salt River from the Ft. Apache Reservation was.at the following locations: Highway 60 bridge and approximately 12 miles upstream from the Highway 60 bridge over an old mine road crossing the head of Flying-V Canyon. Easy access to the Salt River from the Ft. Apache Reservation is also available along a good gravel road which parallels the Salt River in the canyon bottom below the Highway 60 bridge for several miles.

Access to the Black River is more difficult from the San Carlos- Reservation. The following access points were used to obtain survey information: foot trail to Black River bottom, ten miles above the mouth of Freezeout Creek;,at the Black River pumping station, using trolley; the old military road which crosses to Ft. Apache; and the Black River bridge crossing. Access points into the Salt River Canyon from the San Carlos Reservation are as follows: road_from.Hilltop to the mouth of Little Trough Creek and the Highway 60 bridge. Pick-up trucks, 4-wheel drive vehicles and hiking are the only modes of transportation practical for getting to all the above-mentioned access points to the Black River_except at the Black River bridge crossing. Similar modes of transportation are.needed to get into the Salt River Canyon except in the vicinity of the Highway 60 bridge. Water temperature data were collected on the Black River during the survey. The principal collection station for temperature data on the Black River was at the pumping station. Water temperature data were recorded from gauges in the pump house daily, with few exceptions, from May 21 to September 17, 1965. Selected minimum and maximum daily temperatures are depicted_in the graph shown as Figure 2. Daily water temperatures were found to fluctuate.as much as 150 F. Maximum water temperatures occurred about 5:00 p.m. and minimum temperatures occurred about 8:00 a.m, on the Black River. - Highest water tem- peratures were recorded during the first week of July. The daily maximum water temperature declined after this date. Water temperatures were found to.gradually increase downstream and to gradually decrease upstream from the pumping station.

The fish population in the Black and Salt Rivers was sampled at every known access point by seining, gill netting t electrofishing, hook-and-lineJishing or with rotenone. Fish collected included the following species: rainbow • trout (Salmo gairdneri), bonytail (Gila robusta), flannelmouth sucker (Catos- tomus latipinnis), Gila sucker (Pantosteus clarki), green sunfish (Le omis cyanellus), black bullhead (Ictalurus melas), and channel catfish ( c a urtis unctatus). A good to excellent population of channel catfish was rour--= most portions of the Black and Salt Rivers below the Black River crossing. The upper 16 miles of the Black River on the Reservations contained a fair to

3 good population of rainbow trout. Bonytails, Gila suckers, flannelmouth suckers, and green sunfish were distributed throughout the river system, while black bullheads were located only in the Salt River. Bonytails, flannelmouth suckers, and Gila suckers were the most numerous of the_fish species found in the rivers. Very few game fish were noted in the Black River between the upper section containing rainbow trout and the lower section with its channel catfish population. In winter months, however, considerable numbers of rainbow trout apparently drift downstream, as they can be collected almost anywhere on the Black and Salt Rivers at this time of year. Fish Stocking Program During the early part of the survey, it became evident that there was a need for a sport fish species in the section of the Black River between the area inhabited by rainbow trout and the area downstream inhabited.by- channel catfish. Smallmouth bass (Microp_terus dolomieui) was the species thought to best fit existing habitat conditions. A stocking program- for smallmouth bass was recommended, with plants to be made for three consecu- tive years, followed by a period of evaluation. The first smallmouth- bass plant was made on August 27, 1964 when 9,106 four-inch fish were stocked. The fish were released into the river at three separate locations. The second plant was made on July 16, 1965 when a total of 7,000 two-inch fingerling smallmouth bass were released into the river at two locations.- Evidence to date indicats that these plants were at least in part- success- ful. Two smallmouth bass, 71/2 and 6 inches in length, were taken- on hook- and-line near the double crossing area of the Black River on August- 104- 1965. Three smallmouth bass were observed at the Military Crossing area on October 13, 1965,and early in September 1965, a fisherman caught a 9-inch smallmouth bass immediately above the Highway 60 bridge. The smallmouth bass have apparently distributed themselves over a large section of the Black and Salt Rivers. - Fishery Potential - Although- the Black and Salt Rivers are major streams ittArizona;- verylittle angling occurs on these waters on the Ft. Apache. and the San Carlos:ApaChe_,- Reservations. This is in extreme contrast to the heavy.fishing. use:.occuurring, on other Arizona streams. Inaccessibilityitd the fishing publicAsAbe, .:Major reason Why the Black and Salt Rivers receive- little angling attention:!.. The fishery potential of the Black and Salt Rivers is high.- The upper_section_of- the Black River is particularly attractive and the development of,this.section- should be given priority. The upper 50 miles of the Black River on..the Ft. Apache and San Carlos Reservations is suitable for the-development.of.fee..- campgrounds. The upper 16 miles of this river section.already-contains_a.- resident trout population which could be supplemented with'hatchery Arout.to create anexcellent fishery. The river below this point has beerrstocked.with- smallmouth bass and is seasonally supplemented with drift - down catcbable:sized trout as far downstream as the pumping station. A unique recreational area

4 could, therefore, be-developed. Access and campgrounds' are needed to attract the public, •thereby providing a recreaticmalenterprise'potential for the two Reservations. Access could be best.provided from the new high- way under construction across the San Carlos ,Reservation:which will link up Highway 70,,five miles east of Peridot,Arizona, to Highway 666 east of the Reservation's boundary.: Most of this important road - has.beenNantuc completed, to a gravel base, from Highway 70 to Barlow Pass on the Rim (see map, Figure 1). From Barlow Pass, there have been two different routes proposed to link the road with Highway 666. The first of the-proposed routes would follow an almost easterly course across Eagle Creek. If this route is followed, it will do nothing to open the Black River to fishing and will not help the San Carlos Apache Tribe to develop a recreational enterprise based on fishing. The.second proposed route fromrBarlow Pass would follow a northerly, course past Point of Pines and would cross the Black River with a low bridge southwest of Paddy Creek. The road would then proceed to Mave- rick, Arizona, and then east to Highway 666. This second proposed route would provide access to the bottom of Black River Canyon where secondary roads could easily be constructed both upstream- and downstream through long, pine-covered flats. In:addition, this route would open- a shortened and more , accessible road from Arizona's metropolitan areas to the- important recrea- tional areas on the' eastern portion of Ft. Apache. Consideration shouldalso be given to provide an all-weather access route from' Maverick to the Big Lake area located on the Apache National Forest. Such a road would serve to bring the thousands of persons -who visit Big Lake each year across the Reservations.

With proper road and campground development, the section upstream- from the pumping station to the Reservation's boundary could support 754000' man-days of fishing annually.' Since trout anglers in Arizona spend $13.68 per day in quest of their sport, considerable stimulus would be given to the Ft.- Apache and San Carlos Tribal economies.

The Ft. Apache and San Carlos Tribal Councils will-have to agree on' a- common set of rules and regulations to apply to recreationists- on the -Blackiliver. They also should agree on an orderly plan for the development of roads and campgrounds on the river bottom.

Summary A fishery survey of the, Black and Salt Rivers was conducted-by the-Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in cooperation with the Ft. Apache Reservation, the San Carlos Apache Reservation and-the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The survey covered a.period beginning in June 1963 and ending in December 1965. A good population of channel catfish exists in portions. of-the-lower Black River and in portions of the Salt River. A fair to good:population.of trout was found in the: upper section of the Black River and is _apparently‘ restricted to the upper 16 miles of river because of excessive summer water temperatures which occur farther downstream. No significant. game-fish population was located in a large section of the Black River between the trout area and the

5 catfish inhabited'waters., Smallmouth bass were introduced.into- the middle section of the Black River to establish a sport fish. for this segment. The upper section of the Black River particularly has a high fishing-recreation potential. To exploit this potential, roads and. campgrounds must be developed.

Acknowledgements

Mr. Randall Lunt at the Black River pumping. station was kind enough to record much of the water temperature data gathered during this survey. Mr. John Andersen, Bureau of Sport .Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist, assisted on many of the field collection trips.

Richard J. Navarre.. Fishery Management Biologist

Date

APPROVED:

Jack E. temphIII, Regional Supervisor Division -of -Fishery 'Services

Date

Copies to:

Washington Office - 3 San Carlos Apache. Reservation - 4 Ft. Apache Reservation - 4 Phoenix Office.- 4 Springerville Office - 4

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