Upper Blue River and Tributaries Fisheries Survey Apache/Greenlee counties, AZ. Catron County, NM Arizona State University June-July, 1998 Participants: Arizona State University- Brian Bagley, Brian Kesner, Carol Secor. Sampling Localities: Blue River, AZ & NM Jackson Creek, AZ Box Canyon, AZ Johnson Canyon, AZ & NM Buckalou (Buckelew) Creek, AZ Lanphier Canyon, AZ Bush Creek, AZ Largo Creek, AZ Campbell Blue Creek, AZ Mckittrick Creek, AZ Canyon Creek, AZ Milligan Lake, AZ Castle Creek, AZ Moonshine Canyon, AZ Cedar Springs, AZ Mother Hubbard Canyon, AZ & NM Centerfire Creek, AZ Nolan (Noland) Creek, AZ & NM Cienega Creek, AZ Pace Creek, AZ & NM Clay Hunter Canyon, AZ Red Bull Canyon, AZ & NM Coleman Creek, AZ Right Fork Foote Creek, AZ Colyer Canyon, NM S Canyon, AZ Cow Canyon, AZ Sawmill Canyon, AZ Dam Canyon, AZ Steeple Canyon, AZ Dry Blue Creek, NM Steeple Creek, AZ Dry Lakes, AZ Still Canyon, AZ Fishhook Creek, AZ Swafford Canyon, AZ Foote Creek, AZ Thomas Lake, AZ Frieborn Canyon, NM Turkey Creek, AZ Grapevine Canyon, AZ Tutt Creek, AZ High (Hy) Clark Canyon, NM W S Lake, AZ Indian Canyon, AZ Methods: Habitats were sampled with a gas powered Smith-Root DC backpack electrofisher, dip nets, gill nets, and seines. d:\workingth1ue98report 1 Results: A total of 10 fish species, six native and four non-native, were collected throughout the survey: Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache) Apache-rainbow trout hybrid (Oncorhynchus apache x 0. mykiss), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (S'almo trutta), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinahs), longfin dace (Agosia chrysogaster), speckled dace (Rhinichthys °scull's), loach minnow (Tiaroga cobiti.s.), Sonora sucker (Catostomus insignis), and desert sucker (Pantosteus clarki). Also encountered were tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) and leopard frogs (Rana sp.). Specific Notes: Apache trout were found in one stream, upper Coleman Creek. Although the two individuals brought back to the lab keyed out as Apache trout, since rainbow trout were found downstream, their genetic purity may be questionable. Since we did not walk the entire drainage, it is unclear if there are physical barriers to fish movements. KP and Grant creeks, although not sampled during this survey, are known to contain Apache trout. Apache x rainbow trout hybrids were found in a few creeks- Castle, Buckalou, and Mckittrick creeks. (Table 1, Appendix A). Rainbow trout were found in several creeks, but were most abundant in lower portions of the upper Blue River (Table 1, Appendix A) Brown trout were found in several creeks. In general, they were found in the upstream portions of the upper Blue River and nearby tributaries (Table 1, Appendix A). Brook trout were found in just one creek. Pace Creek contained a small population of brook trout below the falls located near the AZ-NM border (Table 1, Appendix A) Longfin dace and speckled dace were found throughout most of the permanent water of the upper Blue River drainage (Table 1, Appendix A) Loach minnow were found throughout upper Blue River. In certain localities they were locally abundant. Loach minnow were also found in several tributaries of Blue River: Dry Blue Creek upstream as far as 50 m below Colyer Canyon, Pace Creek for 1 mile above Dry Blue Creek, Frieborn Canyon 2/3 mile above Dry Blue Creek, and Campbell Blue Creek upstream to Turkey Creek (Table 1, Appendix A). Sonora and desert suckers were found throughout most of the permanent water except for headwater areas (Table 1, Appendix A) Leopard frogs were encountered in two areas. Frieborn Canyon and lower Dry Blue Creek. Private land separates these two areas. Although we were not able to sample extensively, it is likely that leopard frogs are continuous between these areas.(Table 1, Appendix A). 2 Table 1. Number of fish caught and Catch Per Unit Effort (# caught per minute of shocking) at various sampling locations within the upper Blue River drainage, Apache and Greenlee counties, AZ. and Catron County, NM. June-July, 1998. See Appendix A for site descriptions. Location Apadie Apadie rainbow brown brook longlin speckled loach Sonora desert trout X trout trout trout dace dace minnow sucker sucker rainbow Blue River @ -- -- 1 5 -- 11 100 23 14 5 Bobcat Flat (0.1) (0.3) (0.6) (5.1) (1.2) (0.7) (0.3) Blue River @ -- -- -- - - 10 45 1 150 15 Jackson Box (seine) (seine) (seine) (seine) (seine) Blue River ' -- -- -- -- 14 95 3 19 18 Blue Crossing (1.5) (9.9) (0.3) (2.0) (1.9) Campground Blue River @ -- -- 5 -- -- 6 49 -- 50 44 Blue Camp (0.3) (0.4) (3.1) (3.2) (2.8) Blue River @ - -- 2 -- -- present present 1 present present Blue Camp (seine) (seine) (seine) (seine) (seine) (seine) , Blue River 50m -- -- 7 -- -- -- 59 -- 6 25 above & below (0.6) (4.7) (0.5) (2.0) "The Box" Box Cyn 0-3/4 ini -- - -- -- No Water -- -- -- -- above Campbell Blue Crk Buckalou Creek -- -- -- -- - - -- -- -- -- 0-1 mile below rd. 58 Buckalou Creek -- 20 -- 1 -- -- -- - -- -- 0.25 rni above (2.5) (0.1) Castle Crk Bush Creek near -- - - -- No Water -- - -- -- Red Bluff Bush Creek 0-1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 13 -- -- -- mile above Tutt (n) Creek Campbell Blue -- -- -- -- -- -- 149 -- - -- Crk 0-1.5 mi (23.3) below rd 37 Campbell Blue - -- -- - -- -- 193 -- -- -- Crk 0-0.5mi above (48.0) Cienega Crk Campbell Blue -- - -- - -- - 220 -- -- -- Creek 0-0.25 mi. (21.1) below 191 3 Table 1 (cont.) Apathe Apache rainbow brown brook longtin speckled loath Sonora desert Location trout X trout trout trout dace dace minnow sucker sucker rainbow Campbell Blue - -- 26 -- - -- - Crk. 0-200m above (3.11 Coleman Crk Campbell Blue -- - 32 -- 1 -- - -- Creek (& Castle (3.0) (0.1 ) Creek Campbell Blue rd - - -- 33 -- -- 54 4 2 Cat Creek (1.5) (2.4) (0.2) (0.1) Campbell Blue -- - 1 15 -- 3 201 -- 5 2 Creek @ KÆ (0.1) (0.8) (0.2) (10.7) (0.3) (0. I ) Canyon - Campbell Blue -- - -- 3 - 25 120 2 5 3 Creek 4, Turkey (0.5) (4.0) (19.1) (0.3) (0.8) (0.5) Creek Canyon Creek 0- - -- - No Water -- -- -- -- 0.5 miles below rd 59 Castle Creek -- 43 - 1 -- - - -- -- from rd 58 to (5.7) (0.1) Buckalou Creek Castle Crk 0-0.5 -- 1 24 5 -- 25 - - -- mi above Camp- (0.1) (1.8) (0.4) (1.9) bell Blue Creek Cat Creek 0-1.5 - -- -- -- -- - - -- -- mi above Camp- bell Blue Creek Cedar Springs -- - -- -- -- -- _ Centerfire Creek -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- near Red Bluff Cienega Crk. 0-0.5 __ -- __ -- 43 __ -- __ tin above Camp- (7.7) bell Blue Crk Clay Hunter -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- Canyon Coleman Creek 2 -- - -- -- -- -- -- õ rd 59 (0.5) Coleman Crk 0- -- - -- 36 -- -- -- -- -- -- 200m above (4. 8) Campbell Blue Crk 4 Table 1 (cont.) Location Apache Apache ra in bm% brov.n brook longfin speck ',xi loads Sonora desert trout X trout trout trout dace dace minnow sucker sucker rainbow Colyer Canyon 0- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- — -- 05 mi above Dry Blue Creek Cow Canyon 0-1 -- — -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- mile above Blue River Dam Canyon 0-1 -- -- -- -- -- __ __ __ -- mile above Blue River Dry Blue Crk a -- __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- headwaters and below for 5 mi Dry Blue Crk @ -- -- -- -- -- 5 ! 6 -- -- -- Unnamed Spring and below 3/4mi Dry Blue Crk -- -- -- -- -- — __ __ __ -- 0.75-1.25 mi below Unnamed Spring Dry Blue Crk 0.75 -- -- -- -- No Water -- -- -- -- mi above Pace Crk to Colyer Cyn Dry Blue Creek -- -- -- -- No Water -- -- -- -- @ Pace Creek Dry Blue Creek -- -- -- -- 15 31 12 -- -- 50 m below Colyer Canyon Dry Blue Crk lini — -- 3 -- 62 48 6 -- 4 above Campbell ( I) 3 ) (6.3) (4.9) (0.6) (0.4) Blue Creek Dry Lakes -- -- -- -- No Water -- -- -- -- Fishhook Creek -- -- -- 1 -- 21 41 -- -- -- 0-0.85 miles (seine) (seine) (seine) above Blue River Foote Crk -- -- -- -- __ __ __ __ __ -- headwaters to Rt Fork Foote Crk Foote Creek 100 -- -- -- -- -- 8 182 -- -- -- m below Right (0.8) (17.5) Fork Foote Crk 5 Table 1 (cont.) Location Apache Apatite rainbow brown brook longfin speckled loath Sonora ' dserte trout X trout trout trout dace dace minnow sucker sucker rainbow Foote Creek 0.75 -- 1 1 ) 4( ) I -S miles above Blue River Frieborn Canyon - -- 16 -- -- 275 - __ -- 2.3 miles above (2.1) ( 35.3 Dry Blue Creek Frieborn Canyon -- - -- -- -- __ __ -- __ __ trib.-1.3 mi above Dry Blue Crk Frieborn Canyon - -- -- 8 -- -- 16 1 -- -- 2/3 mi above Dry (1.0) (2.1) ( 0 1) Blue Creek Grapevine Cyn 0- -- - _ _ __ _ -- 0.25 miles above Mckittrick Creek Hy Clark Canyon - -- _ _ 0-2 miles below top of drainage Indian Canyon rib -- -- - present - - - - Lanphier Canyon Jackson Creek -- - - - _ -- -- _ -- Reservoir Jackson Creek - -- -- -- __ __ __ __ -- just above Pace Creek Johnson Canyon -- -- -- -- __ __ __ __ __ __ from rd 209 to NM border Johnson Canyon -- - -- - __ _ _ 0-1.5 miles above Blue River Lanphier Canyon -- -- -- - __ _ _ _ __ @ Franz Spring Lanphier Canyon -- -- - - _ _ _ __ _ @ Cashier Spring Lanphier Canyon -- -- -- preselit - -- - -- -- @ Indian Canyon 6 Table 1 cont.) Apache Apache rainbow brown brook longtin speckled loach Sonora desert Location trout X trout trout trout dace dace minnow sucker sucker rainbow Lanphier Canyon -- -- 34 -- 6 - 1 -- 1 mile above (shock (shock (shock Blue River 8c seine) & seine) 8c seine) Largo Creek 1-3 -- -- -- - -- -- -- - -- miles above Blue River Largo Creek (et -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Dutch Oven Spring Largo Creek (d) -- -- -- -- -- -- Maple Spring Mckittrick Creek -- - - -- -- -- - _ trib 1.5 mi above Grapevine canyon Mckittrick Creek - - -- - -- Grapevine Canyon Mckittrick Creek - -- - -- -- -- -- - 1.5 miles above Blue River Mckittrick Creek -- 1 1 - 1 -- -- 47 -- -- -- 1 mile above (1.5) (0.1 (6.6) Blue River Milligan Lake - -- -- - No Water -- -- -- -- Moonshine -- - -- -- No Water - -- -- -- Canyon 0.5 miles above Blue River Mother Hubbard - - - -- No Water -- -- Cyn, 0-1mi above Campbell BI.