Sensitive Native Aquatic Species West Box Elder County

Paul Thompson Utah Division of Wildlife Resources UDWR Philosophy - Native Species

UDWR Mission . To serve the people of Utah as a trustee and guardian of the state’s wildlife

UDWR Resource Goal . Expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat

My Personal Goal (which is parallel to the UDWR goal) . Keep any species from being listed as federally threatened or endangered o If a species becomes federally listed, we are not doing our job o If a species becomes federally listed, the state loses management authority and private landowners can be negatively impacted

UDWR Philosophy - Native Species

Ways to Meet Our Common Goal . Work cooperatively together . Introduce/reintroduce species to establish new populations . Increase/enhance remaining populations o Survey to find more populations o Enhance habitat, remove/build fish barriers, remove competing species, reduce other threats

In my 17 year career, the following species have been petitioned to be listed as federally threatened: . northern leopard frog – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . Colombia spotted frog – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . northern leatherside chub – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . Bonneville cutthroat trout – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . Yellowstone cutthroat trout – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . Colorado River cutthroat trout – FOUND NOT WARRANTED . Least chub – found warranted, but precluded (candidate) – final decision in 2014 . Boreal toad – currently petitioned and the USFWS is completing a 12 month finding

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

UDWR State Sensitive Species . Petitioned to be listed as a threatened species under ESA in 1998 . USFWS found YCT not warranted for listing in 2006

Still occur in every major drainage in the Raft River and in Goose Creek (not tributaries)

I receive a half dozen phone calls per year from anglers wanting to catch a native YCT in Utah . Many from out of state Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

Major Conservation Actions in West Box Elder County . Have genetically tested 5 of 6 populations . pure YCT remain in all or a portion of the 5 drainages . Completed Environmental Assessment in August 2012 . Proposing chemical renovation of George Creek . Need to install fish migration barrier prior . Proposing chemical renovation of Johnson Creek . Need to install fish migration barrier prior . Completed 6 electrofishing passes to remove brook trout in three miles of the Left Hand Fork of Johnson Creek . Installed temporary fish migration barrier

Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

UDWR State Sensitive Species . Listed as endangered in 1970 . Downlisted to threatened in 1975

Utah is not within this species historical range – but we have the purest remaining population in the Pilot Mountains Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

Major Conservation Actions in West Box Elder County . Worked with private landowner to build three hatchery ponds . LCT moved from stream(s) to seed ponds . Assist USFWS every spring to spawn LCT for the recovery program in Nevada . Obtained a variance from the Fish Health Board as well as USFWS approval to move LCT back into a stream that was lost in a 2006 fire (will occur next Monday)

June Sucker UDWR State Sensitive Species . Listed as endangered in 1986

Box Elder County is not within this species historical range

A self sustaining population was established in a private irrigation reservoir near Etna in 1987 . Population was lost due to a fire in 2007 and subsequent flood in 2008

Three grow-out ponds were build west of Park Valley in 2005 – 21,000 June sucker were collected and moved to Utah Lake in September 2012 Least Chub UDWR State Sensitive Species . Petitioned to be listed as a threatened species under ESA in 2007 . USFWS found least chub warranted, but precluded in 2010 . Final decision on listing is scheduled for 2014

No historical records exist for least chub in west Box Elder County

Major Conservation Actions . The least chub conservation strategy calls for the replication of each of the 6 remaining wild populations . Nine least chub populations have been established in West Box Elder County . 2 on state lands . 3 on private lands (will be enrolled in CCAA prior to 2014) . 4 on BLM lands Northern Leatherside Chub UDWR State Sensitive Species . Petitioned to be listed as a threatened species under ESA in 2008 . USFWS found northern leatherside chub not warranted in 2011

Historical distribution is in the Snake River and Bear River drainages . No historical records in the Raft River Drainage . A small population exists in a tributary to Goose Creek . Access to survey Goose Creek was denied in the early/mid 2000s, have not attempted to gain access since . Still need to survey Goose Creek to determine NLSC distribution and population size Bluehead Sucker

UDWR State Sensitive Species

Populations recently discovered in the Raft River and Goose Creek (including tributaries) . Recent genetic work indicates that populations in the Snake, Bear, and Weber River drainages are a distinct species from the populations in the Colorado and Green rivers . Little information is known about populations outside of the Colorado/Green rivers . Could lead to future petition to list – makes surveys in Goose Creek more important . One major obstacle for this species is habitat fragmentation

Bluehead Sucker Major Conservation Actions in West Box Elder County . Recent discovery of a strong population in the Raft River . Recent discovery of a population in Goose Creek – population size unknown . UDWR/TU want to initiate an inventory of irrigation diversions that may be barriers to movement in the Raft River Drainage . Similar inventories have been completed in Rich County (Otter Creek – BCT) and Summit County (Yellow Creek – NLSC) . Following inventory, funding has been secured to make diversions passable with a side benefit of decreased maintenance/increased efficiency for landowners . No out-of-pocket costs to landowners unless they want something in addition to the passage project Boreal Toad UDWR State Sensitive Species . Petitioned to be listed as a threatened species under ESA in 2011 . USFWS is currently completing a 12 month finding

Many populations exist in West Box Elder County . Grouse Creek Range – likely the strongest population in Utah . Lynn Valley . headwaters of Grouse Creek . Goose Creek Mountains . Raft River Mountains Boreal Toad Major Conservation Actions in West Box Elder County . Thorough knowledge of distribution in Utah - surveys . Recent Habitat improvements . dredged 7 breeding ponds to enhance breeding habitat (BLM and private land) . 4 spring improvements (BLM and private land) . increased spring output . helped stabilize breeding ponds . Creation of 3 new breeding ponds (private land) . Built exclosure on 1 breeding pond (BLM land) . Introduction of 2 new populations (BLM land) . PIT-tagged approx. 2,000 BT . Documented extensive movements of up to 5 miles across sagebrush/juniper landscape . Documented life span of 13+ years for some toads Northern Leopard Frog

UDWR State Sensitive Species . Petitioned to be listed as a threatened species under ESA in 2006 . USFWS found northern leopard frog not warranted in 2009

One population known to exist in West Box Elder County . Raft River Bi-valves – California Floater and Western Pearlshell

UDWR State Sensitive Species

California Floater . Few populations are know to occur in Utah . Populations exist in the Raft River and Goose Creek including some tributaries

Western Pearlshell . Three populations are known to occur in Utah . A population exists in the Raft River

Questions