Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Summer 2015

Roundtail Chub Repatriated to the Blue River Inside this issue: With a fish exclusion barrier in place and a marked decline of catfish, the time was #TRENDINGNOW ...... 2 right for stocking Roundtail Chub into a remote eastern Arizona stream. New Initiative Launched for Southwest Native Trout...... 2 On April 30, 2015, the Reclamation, and Marsh and Blue River. A total of 222 AZ 6-Species Conservation Department stocked 876 Associates LLC embarked on a Roundtail Chub were Agreement Renewal ...... 2 juvenile Roundtail Chub from mission to find, collect and stocked into the Blue River. IN THE FIELD ...... 3 ARCC into the Blue River near bring into captivity some During annual monitoring, Recent and Upcoming AZGFD- the Juan Miller Crossing. Roundtail Chub for captive led Activities ...... 3 five months later, Additional augmentation propagation from the nearest- Department staff captured Spikedace Stocked into Spring stockings to enhance the genetic neighbor population in Eagle Creek ...... 3 42 of the stocked chub, representation of the Blue River Creek. The Aquatic Research some of which had travelled BACK AT THE PONDS ...... 4 Roundtail Chub will be and Conservation Center as far as seven miles Native Fish Identification performed later this year. (ARCC) held and raised the upstream from the stocking Workshop at ARCC...... 4 offspring of those chub for Stockings will continue for the location. future stocking into the Blue next several years until that River. population is established in the Department biologists conducted annual Blue River and genetically In 2012, the partners delivered monitoring in subsequent mimics the wild source captive-raised juvenile years, capturing three chub population. Roundtail Chub from ARCC to in 2013 and 48 in 2014. Department biologists at the In 2009 and 2010, state, federal Forty-six of the 48 Roundtail Blue River via helicopter. At the and private partners of the Blue Chub captured in 2014 were same time, Reclamation and River Native Fish Restoration juveniles, indicating the Marsh and Associates Project initiated the next steps chub had reproduced on personnel collected additional to protect and restore the native their own in the wild. Roundtail Chub from a fish assemblage within the Blue neighboring stream to River drainage in eastern The Department is transport by helicopter to Arizona. Biologists from the managing the Blue River as a Department personnel at the Department, U.S. Bureau of native fish stream. This effort includes the establishment of Roundtail Chub, the suppression and removal of nonnative piscivorous fish, and enhancing the survival of federally endangered Spikedace and Loach Minnow in that system.

By Clay Crowder, Native Fish Coordinator, Nongame Wildlife Branch

<°))))><{ A young Roundtail Chub captured during annual monitoring at the Blue River. Photo by AZGFD. Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Summer 2015 | Page 2

This campaign “ #TRENDINGNOW will be aimed at protecting New Initiative Launched for Southwest Native Trout southwestern At the 6th Annual Native and Grande Cutthroat Trout, Gila creating larger, more Wild Trout Conference Trout, and Apache Trout, interconnected populations, native trout, (organized by the through restoration efforts, expanding stream restoration including Rio Department’s Native Trout reconnection of tributary projects in Arizona and New Program and the Arizona habitats, and increased Mexico and conducting Grande Trout Unlimited Council), monitoring efforts. research on climate change members of Trout Unlimited’s impacts and trout genetics in Some of the opportunities Cutthroat national staff announced the conjunction with state agency discussed at the meeting SWNatives Initiative. scientists and universities. Trout, Gila included: increasing the Trout and This campaign will be aimed at resilience of native trout to By Mike Anderson, Native Trout protecting southwestern climate change and drought by Coordinator, Fisheries Branch Apache Trout. native trout, including Rio reconnecting watersheds and ” Map of the area covered under the SWNatives Initiative. Map by Trout Unlimited.

Arizona 6-Species Conservation Agreement Renewal

The renewed 6-Species Little Colorado River Suckers, Since the original Agreement Statewide Conservation and supports Arizona’s was signed by partners in Agreement and Strategy is commitment to the 3-Species 2007, 82% of the 44 actions now ready for signatories. Range-wide Agreement. within the Strategy were completed or are in progress. The Agreement covers The renewed Agreement and Roundtail and Headwater Strategy will build on partner- By Jeff Sorensen, Native Fish Program Chub, Flannelmouth, based efforts to conserve these Manager, Nongame Wildlife Branch six native fishes in Arizona. Bluehead, Zuni Bluehead and Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Summer 2015 | Page 3

IN THE FIELD

Recent and Upcoming AZGFD-led Activities Around the State

Region I Pinetop: Region II Flagstaff continued: Region III Kingman continued: • June 1-4: Lower Blue River Green • June 15-19: Kehl Canyon nonnative • August 4-6: Conger Creek survey Sunfish mechanical removal fish mechanical removal • June 2-11: East Fork of the Black River • June 22-26: Barbershop and Miller Region V Tucson: Apache Trout radio telemetry survey canyons habitat surveys • July 20-22: Las Cienegas and San Pedro  June 8-12: Black River Narrow-headed • June 29: Sheepshead Canyon Gila Riparian Conservation Areas Gila Gartersnake survey Topminnow Monitoring and Stocking Topminnow and Desert Pupfish • June 10-19: Little Colorado River • June 29-July 3: Meadow Tank and monitoring Apache Trout radio telemetry survey Tank No. 2 (West Clear Creek • July 27-29: Romero Canyon and Sabino • June 15-17: Eagle Creek chub survey drainage) nonnative fish mechanical Canyon chub surveys • June 22-25: Lower Blue River removal • August 3-4: T-4 Spring chub survey piscivorous fish mechanical removal • July 6-10: West Fork Oak Creek survey • August 4-6: Babocomari River survey  June 22-26: Rudd Creek nonnative • July 20-21: Fossil Creek drainage stock • August 17-19: Gila Topminnow and trout mechanical removal tank surveys for nonnative fish Desert Pupfish stockings within Las • June 23-25: Little Colorado River and • July 27-31: Spring Creek (tributary of Cienegas National Conservation Area East Fork of the Black River Apache Oak Creek) Northern Mexican • August 25: Gila Topminnow or Desert Trout electrofishing survey Gartersnake survey Pupfish stocking within Sands Draw  June 29-July 2 and July 13-17: Blue • August 3- 7: Oak Creek/West Fork Oak River tributary Loach Minnow habitat Creek fish survey and assessment of Region VI Mesa: evaluations post-fire conditions • May 31-June 6: Santa Cruz Northern • July 6-9: North Fork East Fork Black • August 3-13: Fossil Creek Spikedace, Mexican Gartersnake survey River Loach Minnow survey Loach Minnow and Razorback Sucker • June 8: Deer Creek habitat survey  July 6-10: West Fork Black River monitoring • June 15-19: Canyon Creek Narrow- Narrow-headed Gartersnake survey • August 10-14: Spring Creek (tributary headed Gartersnake survey • July 8-17: Little Colorado River Apache of Oak Creek) Green Sunfish • June 24-25: Chiricahua Leopard Frog Trout radio telemetry survey mechanical removal surveys on the Mogollon Rim  July 20-August 7: West Fork Black • August 25-26: Red Tank Draw survey • June 29-July 2: Salt River survey River and Rudd Creek nonnative trout • August 25-27: Fossil Creek fall (downstream of San Carlos Apache mechanical removals snorkeling survey Reservation)  August 4-14: East Fork of the Black • June 30: Rock Spring Gila Topminnow River and Little Colorado River Apache Region III Kingman: monitoring Trout radio telemetry surveys • June 2-4: Verde River survey (Beasley • July 1: Walnut Spring (near Punkin Flats to Childs) Center) Gila Topminnow monitoring Region II Flagstaff: • June 15-18: Trout Creek survey • July 13-17: Cherry Creek survey • June 1-5: Spring Creek (tributary of • June 22-25: Cottonwood • July 20-24: Lower Verde River survey Oak Creek) Green Sunfish mechanical Canyon/Smith Canyon survey (downstream of Bartlett Dam) removal • June 30: Boulder Creek survey • August 17-20: Indian Creek, Little • June 9-12: East Clear Creek Roundtail • July 14-17: Verde River survey Sycamore Creek and Sycamore Creek Chub broodstock collection (Tuzigoot to Beasley Flats) surveys

Spikedace Stocked into Spring Creek In May, ARCC-propagated spikedace were In the Verde River drainage, the Department stocked into Spring Creek, a tributary of and its partners established a spikedace Oak Creek. The Department, U.S. Bureau population in Fossil Creek after repeated of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife stockings since 2007. Service, U.S. Forest Service, and local Spikedace. Photo by AZGFD. landowners worked together on this By Nick Walter, Public Information Officer, Information Branch, and Tony Robinson, CAP Native Fish Program recovery action for this endangered fish. Manager, Nongame Wildlife Branch Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Summer 2015 | Page 4

BACK AT THE PONDS

Arizona Game and Is That a Spikedace or Speckled Dace? Fish Department Native Fish Identification Class at ARCC 5000 W. Carefree Hwy Phoenix, AZ 85086 Accurate species distribution and On May 22, ARCC hosted this Sonora Sucker, Desert Phone: 602-942-3000 population data are necessary to year’s training for over two Sucker, Razorback Sucker, Fax: 623-236-7926 inform management decisions dozen Department biologists, Spikedace, Speckled Dace, www.azgfd.gov for Arizona’s native fish species. interns and other agency Longfin Dace and Colorado Biologists need to be able to partners including Gila River Pikeminnow. It was a great correctly identify native and Indian Community and opportunity to be able to nonnative fish in the wild to Northern Arizona University. swim with so many species ensure their data is accurate. ARCC staff gave a presentation of native fish in one setting! on basic fish identification Each summer, the Department techniques, offered suggestions This training is key to helping hires a number of interns to help for identifying native Arizona field crews correctly identify monitor fish populations in fishes, and supplied live and the fish species present in a dozens of waterways across the preserved specimens of more waterway, and in turn, help state. Many of these interns than 30 species of native and ensure fisheries managers have limited experience working nonnative fish. have accurate information to with fish, so Department staff manage Arizona’s native fish present a class in fish Participants were also able to species. identification techniques at the practice snorkel surveys in a ARCC in the Page Springs area large holding pool containing By Matt O’Neill PhD, Native Fish Research Biologist, Research Branch each year. Roundtail Chub, Bonytail,

Left: A large holding tank was set up to allow class participants to swim with an assemblage of native fishes. Right: Participants are packed into the class like sardines. Photos by AZGFD.

For more information about any of these articles, visit www.azgfd.gov or e-mail [email protected]. Arizona Game and Fish Department Mission To conserve Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and manage for safe, compatible outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations. The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any AGFD program or activity, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the AGFD Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix., AZ 85086, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the AGFD Director’s Office as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800-367-8939.