Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Bluehead Sucker in the Weber River: Endangered Species Act Implications?

Paul ThompsonUtah Division of Wildlife Resources

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

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 Responsibility Keep any species from being listed as federally threatened or endangered. If a species was to become listed:o We are not doing our jobo The state loses management authorityo Landowners, water managers, municipalities and counties can be negatively impacted

UDWR Core Belief Wildlife is valuable to everyone

Structure of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Northern Region Office Manage wildlife and aquatic resources including their habitat in the entire Weber River Watershed Two, unique fish species occuro Bonneville cutthroat trouto Bluehead suckero Conservation actions are directed at both species to preclude the need for listing

under the Endangered Species Act

Bonneville Cutthroat TroutDistribution Historically occurred throughout the Bear River and Bonneville Basin Stronghold populations still occur in the Weber River:

Lower Weber River Lost Creek Chalk Creek Upper Weber River Ogden River (South and North Forks)

Conservation Efforts UDWR and others have been actively managing and implementing conservation actions since the early 1970s Was petitioned to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1979, 1992, and 1998

USFWS found not warranted for federal listing Sufficient number of populations Active conservation of the species through partnerships

Future Petition/Listing under ESA? Unlikely with the amount of conservation actions previously taken, currently underway and planned in the future Still potential for petition of an unique life history form - fluvial

Bonneville Cutthroat TroutResident versus Fluvial Life History Resident

Majority of remaining populations Populations occur in smaller stream reaches where they complete their entire life cycle Fish are often smaller in size

Fluvial Few populations with this life cycle remain Individuals grown larger and need to travel to complete its life cycle A population of fluvial fish were recently discovered in the Lower Weber River

Significant challenge - number of barriers

Resident Fluvial

Lower Weber Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Population

Lower Weber River BCT Fluvial Population

• Identified mainstem (n=5) and tributary (n=10) barriers• Have provided passage at one mainstem barrier (mouth of Weber

Canyon) and two tributary barriers (Gordon and Jacobs creeks)• Have secured funding to provide passage at one additional tributary

barrier (Strawberry Creek)• Have screened two mainstem diversions

Bluehead SuckerDistribution/Background Historically occurred throughout the Green, Colorado, Bear, Snake and Weber rivers Recent genetic work has determined that two species exist (Hopken et al. 2013; Unmack et al. 2014) Green/Colorado Bear/Snake/Weber

Remaining populations in Utah: Weber River – small population (<1,000) Snake River – Raft River and Pole Creek Bear River – none found, surveys still needed

Conservation Efforts UDWR and others have been actively managing and implementing conservation actions since the early 2000s No federal petitions to date

Future Petition/Listing under ESA? Very likely, anticipating a petition to list possibly within the next 3-5 years When new genetic information arises and splits a species into two groups The weaker of the two is often petitioned The Bear/Snake/Weber populations is the weaker of the two groups

Bluehead Sucker Distribution in the Weber River

Adjacent map created from 2003-2013 inventories

Monitoring indicates the strongest populations remain from Ogden upstream into Weber Canyon and from Morgan to Henefer

Threats to Bluehead Sucker in the Weber RiverLoss of habitat connectivity (e.g., dams/diversions)

Habitat Degradation (e.g., channelization leading to loss of juvenile rearing habitats)

Alteration in stream temperature (e.g., colder water between Echo/Rockport Res.)

Alteration of the hydrograph Reduced peak in spring runoff

Timing Duration

Reduced or increased base flows

Predation/Competition from other fish species

Partnerships Making a DifferenceDiversion at the Mouth of Weber Canyon

• Project cost >½ million dollars • 15 Cooperators•Solidified an aging irrigation structure that had the potential to fail• Realized quantifiable water savings through modernizations and efficiencies•Modified and screened irrigation intakes on south and north sides • Easier to obtain water and reduced debris in ditches• Fish passage channel constructed • First fish to pass upstream at this diversion since the 1930s

Partnerships Making a DifferenceFish Salvage below Echo Dam

• Received a call from the Weber River Water Users Association• The spillway pool was to be drained for repairs• Did we have interest in salvaging fish?• Moved 10 bluehead sucker (9 juveniles) and 7 fluvial Bonneville cutthroat trout

How will the USFWS Evaluate a Bluehead Sucker Petition?

• Receive a Petition• Evaluate petition for new and substantial information• If no, dismiss petition• If yes, complete a 12 month status review • Pull all information together and evaluate threats

• Not warranted• Warranted• Define Critical Habitat (areas under a microscope and heavily regulated), in

Utah:• Snake River• Bear River (at least downstream of Cutler Dam)• Weber River (at least downstream of Rockport Dam)

How will the USFWS Evaluate a Bluehead Sucker Petition?

We need to show positive conservation efforts through partnerships

WinRangewide Conservation Plan (2006)Conservation Target in Weber River Plan Reconnected habitat at mouth of canyonScreened two irrigation ditchesDetermined population sizeMitigation - one mainstem barrierCollaboration saved 10 bluehead suckers

We still have much work ahead of us

LossLack of awarenessOther diversions were constructed/fortified>30 mainstem barriersRemaining ditches still openPopulations are smallPopulations are decliningMinimal recruitmentSpawning locations unknownRiver is channelizedHydrograph has been altered18 million recently spent on flood controlEvery day actions take place with negative consequences

How Should We Move Forward?

Communication

Collaboration

Cooperation

We need to have a good track record with real results and we can achieve this through partnerships

Questions