Colorado River Fish Recovery Program Protects Fish in 15 Mile Reach through coordinated effort

Colorado pikeminnow. Photo Courtesy CPW

Native fish in the Colorado River evolved over hundreds of millions of years. They have developed biological features and life histories adapted to the river’s unique hydrology and environmental conditions. Changes in hydrology, water uses, introduced game fish, and habitat alterations have deteriorated conditions for many native fish. Four imperiled fish species have received threatened and endangered status under the Endangered Species Act: the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bonytail.

Join us February 21, when Middle Colorado Watershed Council will host the first of their Winter Speaker Series guests. David Graf, Instream Flow Coordinator for US Fish and Wildlife, will share information about the Fish Recovery Program and the 15 Mile Reach. The Recovery Program is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the various nonfederal public and private partners to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program facilitates recovery of these four species while still allowing existing water uses and some additional water development. Partners from Federal and State agencies, Tribal organizations, water users, hydropower interests, and conservation groups collaborate in this recovery effort. 

The 15-Mile Reach starts east of Grand Junction on the mainstem Colorado River below the last of the large Grand Valley water diversion structures and ends at the confluence with the Gunnison River. This river stretch contains critical habitat for the listed species. Multiple program partners came together to collaborate on a plan for using strategic reservoir releases to ensure water continuously flows year-round through this reach.

In 2018 the 15-Mile Reach would have been dry for approximately 12 days in late September and early October without the reservoir releases. Thanks to Colorado’s water rights system, ensuring water to this critical reach also ensures upstream water continues to flow through the Middle Colorado watershed and further augments baseflows below the Gunnison confluence to Lake Powell.

Providing habitat and connectivity for the multiple life stages of fish are important aspects of recovery. Using reservoir releases to connect the main channel to nursery flood plain habitat as fry are hatching has been successful in enhancing recruitment of the endangered species.

Ensuring that fish can pass successfully past diversion dams plays a vital part in maintaining connectivity for these species to access critical spawning habitat. Adding screens to water diversions helps prevent fish from becoming trapped in canals. Electronic tagging fish to track movement has proven hugely successful in determining migration routes and habitat preferences at different life stages.

Over the past 150 years, various fish species have been introduced into the Colorado river drainage. Invasive species compete for resources and can prey upon native fish species. Smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleye are currently being removed because these invasive predators can adapt to reproduce in both flowing and stored water systems.

Providing information and education to the public about the importance of the 15-Mile Reach is vital to the program’s success and recovery of native fish. The program maintains a public website, develops a variety of educational materials, works with the media and partners to share news stories, supports classroom programs, and attends public outreach events.

Federal and State agencies operate native fish recovery hatcheries across the upper Colorado basin. Hatchery personnel work with geneticists to ensure captive brood stocks are as diverse as possible. Fish are raised to sizes that increase their chances of survival—at least ten inches and sometimes eighteen inches. Successful culturing of razorback sucker has brought them back from the brink of extinction.

Research is essential for providing the best information possible to aid in the Recovery Program’s efforts. Research areas include utilizing floodplain wetlands as fish nursery habitat, growth and movement monitoring, determining the most effective size to stock fish, and enhancing invasive species control methods.

Colorado fish hatcheries sustain native fish populations

Justin Perkins, Project Manager/Watershed Specialist

When fishing became a popular recreational activity, natural fish populations could not sustain themselves in areas where fish were being removed for consumption. There became a need to regulate fishing and supplement wild fish stocks. Fish hatcheries were first used in the late 19th century to replenish wild stocks and generate angling opportunities.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) estimates that angling opportunities in Colorado currently contribute to 1.9 billion dollars in economic activity. Fishing in public water requires a license, these license fees help pay for management of the fisheries and the operation of hatcheries across the state. CPW stocks more than 2.5 million catchable (greater than 10 inches) trout each year, and 90 million fish total across the state.

 Cutthroat trout are the only trout native to Colorado. Hatcheries raise cutthroats for angling opportunities and to conserve genetically distinct native populations.

 Many of these cutthroat populations inhabit only a fraction of their native range and struggle to compete with introduced sportfish species. Fish hatcheries play an important role in the management of native species and recovery of threatened and endangered species.

 CPW and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service help manage these populations by supplemental stocking. CPW operates the J. W. Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility near Alamosa, Colorado. The facility currently raises 12 species of threatened or endangered fish.

 There are multiple fish hatcheries located within the Middle Colorado Watershed. The largest hatchery in the state, Rifle Falls, is located north of Rifle on state Highway 325. Glenwood Springs State Fish Hatchery, one of the smallest in the state, is located on Mitchell Creek in West Glenwood Springs. The Crystal River State Fish Hatchery is located on the Crystal River, a tributary to the Roaring Fork River south of Carbondale.

 Hatcheries are generally non-consumptive water users, meaning they allow water to pass through their systems with losses only from evaporation. Depending on the size of the hatchery, a discharge permit may require discharged water to be flowed through a settling pond. Solid waste will then settle to the bottom before the water is returned to the drainage.

 When unique fish populations come under risk of wildfire, biologists and hatchery personnel can capture and move these populations into a hatchery and out of harm’s way. The fish can be temporarily cultured in the hatchery system until their habitat is restored or no longer threatened. Several hatcheries contain isolation or quarantine units which can serve as refuge for these at-risk species without concern of biological pathogen exposure to other cultured stocks.

 Hatchery raised fish have garnished a bad reputation in some angling circles. Negative perceptions of fish hatcheries may exist due to common high-density aquaculture practices yielding low quality fish. Rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are common use pools, it can be difficult manage fish populations to accommodate for multiple demographics and desired angling outcomes.

 Visiting a hatchery can provide unique wildlife viewing and educational opportunities to see multiple species of fish while engaging with self-guided, volunteer lead, or scheduled group tours. Hatcheries have quarter-fed, gumball-style fish food dispensers that provide a fun interactive activity for kids and adults.

 Hatcheries in Colorado are aging, there is a need for modernization and investment in infrastructure. They help create and sustain angling opportunities throughout Colorado and help in restoration and recovery programs of native fishes. Hatcheries are important to rural economies, for the jobs they create and the economic benefits of recreational angling.

CPW removal of nuisance species protects native fish

Justin Perkins,

MCWC Project Manager and Watershed Specialist

The Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC)’s Integrated Water Management Plan has multiple projects to educate and inform the public about nuisance species mitigation.  MCWC plans to install signage around gravel pits, public ponds, boat ramps, and river access areas to indicate the prohibition against and the consequences of moving nonnative fish, bullfrogs, plants, and other aquatic species between waterbodies.

Outreach plans include educational information about obtaining a stocking permit, isolating nonnatives, preventing invasive species from escaping to the river, and techniques to minimize reproduction of non-native species.

In partnership with Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), MCWC has developed a Nuisance Species Reporting App. This application or web browser on your phone can document and report sightings of nuisance species. The database will be shared with aquatic managers to identify nuisance species hot spots and locations of invasions.

Large scale removal methods of nuisance species are difficult because they have the potential to harm native or non-target populations. Removal efforts only work if all members of the targeted population are removed. If just one breeding pair or a single self-replicating individual is missed, the invasive species can persist. There are several methods for removing nuisance species. Many techniques are used in combination for the best chance of extirpation.

Mechanical techniques are the most common. In aquatic ecosystems electrofishing is a popular method for the removal of nuisance fish species. It can be dangerous, labor, and cost intensive but is highly effective. Biologists seek out key habitats and introduce electric current into the water that temporarily stuns fish. Stunned fish are captured by technicians, undesirable species are sorted and removed from the system. Desirable species recover quickly and are returned to the water unharmed.

Passive techniques such as netting and trapping can also be highly effective. Captures can be selective, but there is a potential for unintended bycatch. Gear can be strategically placed in spawning grounds used by nuisance species to capture adults before reproduction occurs. 

Strategic manipulation of flow regimes can be an effective tool. Surged reservoir releases or altered timing can control access to spawning habitats or “wash out” spawning nests of nuisance species.

Biological controls refer to introducing predatory species to aid in removal of invasives. Employing this strategy can be tricky. Managers can’t control what species the predator targets. In this practice it is best to use sterile individuals to control reproduction of the introduced predator.

In areas where nuisance species are established, chemical treatments may be necessary.  Introducing a toxic agent to bodies of water to eradicate nuisance species can be highly effective. This technique is extremely labor intensive and requires extensive planning and permitting.   

Bounty programs for removal of invasive species encourage anglers to catch nuisance species for a financial reward. Tournaments and competitions are often held with cash and other prizes.  These large, community-based efforts towards removal provide a platform to bring awareness and educate the community on the impacts of nuisance species.

CPW’s Aquatic Nuisance Species program is dedicated to protecting Colorado’s natural resources from the introduction of harmful invasive species. ANS staff, partners and volunteers conduct more than 450,000 inspections annually at 72 stations statewide, aimed at preventing the transfer of aquatic organisms between water bodies. Follow basic principles of drain, clean, and dry to prevent accidental transfer of nuisance species.

Preventing introduced species from expanding into fragile aquatic ecosystem may be accomplished by barriers. MCWC is currently planning to install a fish barrier structure on Roan Creek, northwest of De Beque. This barrier will protect an isolated population of native cutthroat trout and sculpins from downstream invaders. By isolating these unique populations, they become protected.

Nuisance species cause severe ecological impacts by competing with and displacing native species. Nuisance species are very costly and require extensive labor to remove. No method of removal is guaranteed. Education and awareness will be key in preventing future introductions of nuisance species. The best approach for managing nuisance species is to prevent species from being introduced in the first place.

Nuisance species can outcompete and displace native species

By Justin Perkins

MCWC Project Manager/Watershed Specials

6.26.23

Northern Pike

Nuisance species are detrimental to watersheds and to the native species within them. During eras of human expansion, settlers and homesteaders often brought crops, plants, trees, and fish species with them from their places of origin. Species were introduced into new landscapes without any consideration of the environmental repercussions. Many of these non-native species thrived in their new environments and established themselves in their new landscapes, often outcompeting and displacing native species.

Non-natives species are defined as populations of species that are living outside of their naturally occurring range. Most commonly, these species were introduced by humans for recreational, food consumption, or nostalgic purposes. Generally, they were not introduced with any malice, just lack of forethought or ignorance of the unintended consequences.

Nuisance and invasive species are often introduced, but an introduced species isn’t always nuisance or invasive. An introduced species is a non-native species that has economic, recreational, or biological value whose benefits outweigh harm to native populations or ecosystems. Introduced fish species such as rainbow and brown trout are larger than native cutthroat trout, making them popular target species for recreational angling. An invasive species is a non-native nuisance species that outcompetes, harms, displaces, or creates undesirable conditions for native populations. Nuisance species are invasives that require active suppression, often at great expense, due to their potential for ecosystem and biological harm.

Colorado’s early history of limited management and lack of regulation for nuisance species has allowed many non-native species to establish themselves. Concentrations of these species are found alongside areas of high human use. Species have been introduced since the 19th century, many populations of non-natives are long established and wide ranging. At this point many are impractical to remove.

Non-natives often persist because they have no natural predators, they may have the ability to outcompete natives, and are often easily transferable. Transfers can occur from something as simple as a seed attaching to your hiking shoe at one location, then detaching during your next hike at a different location. Aquatic organisms can attach to gear or boats and be transported unknowingly to new bodies of water. Intentional introduction of species also occurs, such as people dumping home fish tanks or bait buckets into bodies of water. The introduced plants and fish can propagate and potentially take over the ecosystem.

Invasives can be larger in size, have higher food consumption drives, superior mobility, or advanced morphologies that give them a competitive edge. Non-native species can also have wider tolerance ranges for temperature, drought, or other environmental parameters. Having a wider tolerance also gives them a long-term advantage in adapting to a changing climate.

Introduced species can also be vectors of disease. When they are introduced into a new environment, they can bring disease with them. Native and established populations may be exposed to new diseases that they have historically never encountered and do not have the ability to fight off.

Every ecosystem has a limited number of resources, non-native species can consume resources historically used exclusively by native species. For example, in an aquatic environment such as a lake, an invasive mussel species can interrupt the lower trophic levels by consuming oxygen and nutrients, leaving nothing for native organisms. Invasive plant species, such as tamarisk may consume up to 200 gallons of water per day, removing scarce resources with no benefit to native ecosystems or local economies.              

Human transfers of non-native species occur both unwittingly and deliberately. Most often introduction occurs unintentionally, as with tiny mussels attached to boat hulls, propellers or in live wells. Unfortunately, some bad actors deliberately move fish and other species between bodies of water for personal benefit without permission from aquatic managers.

Education, outreach, regulation, and enforcement are key to altering the behavior of people who illegally transport and introduce nuisance species. Nuisance species cause severe ecological impacts by competing with and displacing native species. Removal of nuisance species is very costly and labor intensive. The best approach for managing nuisance species is to prevent species from being introduced in the first place.

Local producers weigh the cost of farming and ranching

By Raymond Langstaff

Bookcliff Conservation District

Like any business, a rancher or farmer has to balance the cost of doing business when determining the success of each growing season. My last column touched on the price of hay. To provide a fuller picture of the economics of agriculture, I thought I would share some of the costs that agricultural producers encounter.

Water

The source of the irrigation water influences the cost of the water. An irrigation canal supported by a ditch or canal company may include charges for a ditch rider to cruise the ditch opening and to close headgates as well as funds for annual cleaning that require a backhoe and operator. Repairs on the ditch may be assessed separately.

Equipment

In this part of the state, a producer may have several tractors ranging in size from 25 to 30 horsepower (hp) to 150 hp or more:

*a small tractor rakes hay

*a larger tractor is required for a large 3’ X 3’ baler

*a 65 hp or larger tractor is required if one is using a pull behind windrower/cutter

*a 40 hp or larger tractor is needed for a small square baler

*a larger tractor is used for a towed stackwagon

*a no-till drill requires a tractor with at least 50 hp.

Most producers will have the following:

*a ¾ or one ton pickup or truck

*tractors

*windrowers/swathers/disc cutters or a sickle bar

*balers - small squares, round bales, large squares (or may have one of each)

*trailers - flatbeds, stock trailers, a bumper pull stock or horse trailer

*rakes - side delivery, wheel rakes (horizontal or upright)

*a front-end loader for tractors with various attachments such as a bucket, pallet forks, and spears (for picking up the round or large square bales)

Producers may also have:

*a post hole auger and an attachment to drive posts

*a skidsteer

*a tedder which is used to fluff and turn windrows to help dry the hay before baling

The direction I am headed with this discussion is what the costs will likely be to acquire these pieces of equipment. Without going all out and writing a term paper or a book, a list with several examples of used equipment will illustrate equipment expense.

Tractors

*1988 John Deere (J.D.) 2355 2 wd 67 hp tractor: $17,000

*2014 Massey Ferguson 4wd 99 hp tractor: $52,000

*1976 International Harvester (IH) 2wd tractor: $30,000

*2020 Deutz Fahrenheit 101 hp 4wd tractor: $69,500

*2013 J.D. 6170 170 hp tractor: $98,900

*Case IH 180hp 4wd tractor: $106,900

Cutting equipment

*9 ft. Hesston rotary disc, $17,995,

*2016 Krone 32 ft. swather, $175,000,

*2018 Case IH pull type mower/conditioner, $25950,

*Kuhn 2013 9 ft., $6850,

*2020 Kuhn 12 ft. cutter, $18,000.

Rakes

*2012 Pequea TS-24 13 to 24 ft horizontal rotary rake, $21,000,

*2015 Bush Hog 12 wheel V rake, $5,000,

*2019 Kuhn 11’ rotary, $9,800,

*10-wheel Kuhn V rake, $6,000.

Balers

Small square balers (14” X 18” x 36” long) range from $2000 to $6000 for older used models. Models from the late 80’s to 90’s are $10,000 to $16,000. 2000 and newer used models are $15,000 to $20,000. A 2019 baler listed for $28,500, and a 2022 baler was priced at $41,700.

Large square bales (3’ X 3’ X 8’) range in price from $22,500 for a 2007 model to a 2021 baler listing for $130,500. Round baler prices are in between the small balers and the large square balers.

Fuel

Fuel costs are significant part of the season. A smaller operation will use around 100 gallons of diesel fuel, a larger operation with 200 – 300 acres of hay will likely use 1,000 gallons or more. At $4.30/gallon, the little guy will spend nearly $400, and the larger producer will spend over $4,300. This expense doesn’t include fuel for the trucks, pickups and UTVs.

Taxes, parts for repairs, hand tools, gloves and other sundries are all part of the financial mix that a producer tracks every year.

Picture below left to right: Kuhn 11&#39 rotary rake, Beaver Slide for loose hay, Krone Large Square Baler