Laserfiche WebLink
<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />Control of nonnative fish has been identified by the Upper Colorado River <br />Endangered Fish Recovery Program as a primary component in the recovery of four <br />endangered fish species. Historically 12 native fish species lived in the Colorado River <br />in Colorado. These include four listed fish species (Colorado pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus <br />lucius; humpback chub, Gila cypha; bonytail, Gila elegans; and razorback sucker, <br />Xyrauchen texanus). Conversely, 40 nonnative fish species have been collected in the <br />Colorado River in Colorado; thus nonnative fish species outnumber native species by <br />more than three to one. <br />Because riverside ponds may be chronic sources of nonnative fish to critical <br />habitat the goal of this study was to reduce proliferation of nonnative fish species in <br />floodplain habitats and minimize chronic escapement of nonnative fishes from perennial <br />ponds. The primary objective to accomplish this goal was diminution of nonnative fish <br />abundance in riverside ponds and reduction of nonnative fish escapement from ponds. <br />A secondary objective was to detect reinvasion of treated ponds by nonnative fish and <br />identify nonnative fish movement through fish screens. Ultimately, the desired effect of <br />i this study was a reduction in the abundance of nonnative fishes in riverine nursery <br />habitats. <br />An inventory of the study area revealed 729 potential pond sites. Information and <br />education efforts utilized landowner and other interested community contacts to obtain <br />access to 329 of the 729 potential pond sites. Of the 191 ponds that were sampled and <br />found to contain fish in the study area, 147 contained only nonnative fish (21 species) <br />and another 43 contained both native (3 species) and nonnative fish. Only native fish <br />species were collected in only one of the 191 ponds. The total catch from these 191 <br />ponds was 25,393 fish, of which only 387 (1.5%) were native. <br />Of the 191 ponds sampled to determine species composition 86 ponds, totaling <br />373.8 surface acres, received nonnative fish control treatments (reclamation, screen, <br />water management, black plastic, and re-route irrigation water). The total cost of all <br />treatments was $310,331. The average cost per surface acre for these treatments was <br />ix