The Moab Field Station participates in 10-12 specific projects each year. All of the work done through this field station is part of the Upper Colorado River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Recovery Program. These Recovery Programs were developed to protect and restore the four endangered fishes found within the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basins. Our projects primarily focus on long-term monitoring of these endangered fishes as well as control of invasive species like smallmouth bass and walleye. Here is a brief overview of a few of our projects:
Colorado Pikeminnow Population Estimates:
Location: Labyrinth & Stillwater Canyons of the Green River (120 river miles).
When: 3 trips, lasting 9 days each during April - June. This project runs on a 3 years on / 2 years off rotation. Last sampling cycle took place during Spring 2016-2018. The next sampling for this project will begin in Spring 2021.
How: Intensive shoreline electrofishing from 16' Aluminum Jon boats.
Purpose: To assess the number, distribution, and population trends of Colorado pikeminnow throughout the Green River Basin. This is a collaborative project involves three state agencies, two USFWS offices, and researchers at CSU. Estimates are derived from basin wide mark-recapture sampling.
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| Colorado pikeminnow after getting weighed and measured |
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| Colorado pikeminnow being released back into the Green |
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| White Rim Section of Labyrinth Canyon, Green River |
Location: Labyrinth & Stillwater Canyons of the Green River (120 river miles) and the Lower Colorado River through Canyonlands N.P. (100 river miles).
When: 2 trips, each lasting 4 days during September.
How: Intensive seining in backwaters and flooded tributaries, travel by 16' Jon boats with outboard motors.
Purpose: Monitoring the relative abundance and distribution of young-of year pikeminnow throughout our section of the basin has been ongoing since 1986. This information allows us to assess the effects of management actions such as nonnative control or re-operation of dams. The lower Green river has been the most consistent and productive rearing area for YOY pikeminnow in the entire Upper Colorado River Basin.
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| Seining on the Colorado River |
Seining on the Green River
Humpback Chub Population Estimates and Monitoring:
*This is actually three projects compressed into one general description*
Location: Desolation Canyon of the Green River (88 river miles), Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River (36 river miles), and Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River (89 river miles)
When: 3 trips in Deso and Westwater and 1 trip in Cat., each lasting 8-10 days in September and October. The sampling in Deso and Westwater take place on two year rotations. The Deso chub population was sampled in 2018 and 2019. Westwater chubs will be sampled this year and in 2021. We sample in Cataract Canyon every other year, next sample taking place in 2022.
How: Trammel netting from motorized catarafts and sportboats as well as baited hoop net sampling. Rapids are rowed by all boats except the sportboats in Westwater and Cataract.
Purpose: To assess the number, distribution, and population trends of humpback chub and bonytail in each of these canyon bound populations. Population estimates are derived using mark-recapture techniques. These three canyons contain nearly all of the humpbacks in the upper Colorado River Basin, with Westwater having the most dense population.
Location: Labyrinth & Stillwater Canyons of the Green River (120 river miles); Lower Colorado River (Cisco to confluence with Green: 110 river miles).
When: 6-8 trips lasting 1-5 days during May through August.
How: Larvae are collected with light traps, YOY and age-1 fish are collecting by seining. Travel is conducted using motorized Jon boats.
Purpose: Determine the relative success, timing, and locations of spawning by stocked razorback suckers. In the mid to late 90's razorbacks were believed to be extirpated from most of the basin and in the late 90's a large stocking program was initiated. In recent years populations of stocked fish have grown dense enough to begin successfully spawning. This project is used to determine the extent of their spawning and determine if the young produced are able to survive their first year and recruit to the population.
Location: Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, Desolation/Gray Canyons, Labyrinth/Stillwater Canyons; Colorado River in Meander Canyon and lower Westwater Canyon.
When: February-November; varying number of 3 to 7 day trips on the Green River in Desolation and Dinosaur N.M. June through August; frequent spring and fall day trips to the Green River up and downstream from Green River State Park and to the Colorado River just below Westwater canyon upstream from Cisco
How: Intensive cataraft and jet boat electrofishing.
Purpose: To reduce and control nonnative smallmouth bass and walleye populations throughout the Green and Colorado Rivers. This removal efforts aims to reduce predation of native fish by these non-natives and reduce competition for habitat and resources. This work is part of a large collaborative effort between the States of Utah, State of Colorado, and the USFWS. The Moab Field Station works in three sections of the Green River within the basin.
Matheson Wetland Preserve Restoration Project and Razorback Sucker Monitoring:
Location: Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve in Moab, UT
When: April - September; sporadic field visits from town
How: Create suitable nursery habitat for razorback sucker, monitor by light trapping, seining, hoop/fyke netting, TBD
Purpose: In 2019 an inlet channel was dug from the Colorado River into the Scott M Matheson Wetlands Preserve in hopes to create nursery habitat for larval razorback suckers. Historically, the wetland would get flooded every other year but due to rising temperatures, lower annual precipitation, and the construction of dams this is no longer the case. This inlet channel is designed to draw larval razorbacks into the wetland and give them a chance to grow during the most vulnerable stage of their life. A concrete control structure was built to control water coming in and out of the wetland. Additionally, fish screens were installed to keep out large-bodied fish while allowing larval razorbacks to enter the wetland when filling. Sampling by light trapping of the inlet channel will begin in April to look for presence of larval razorback sucker. Once presence of razorback larvae is detected, we will open the gates and begin filling the wetland. The goal is for razorback larvae to drift up into the wetland. We will monitor for presence of larvae in the wetland using light traps. The wetland will be filled until peak flows begin to taper off and then the gates will be closed until we determine it is adequate timing to drain the wetland and return fish to the main channel. We will attempt to sample fish during draining by implementing a fish trap. In these early stages of the project, we simply wish to determine: if larval fish, particularly razorback sucker, are moving into the wetland; if these fish are surviving and growing larger as the summer progresses; and how long into the summer this remains viable habitat for razorbacks. Sampling at the Matheson wetland and design of the inlet structure will evolve overtime as we learn more through field studies and experimentation.
When: April through June; Trip lengths and specific goals/sampling methods used have varied each year
How: Larvae are collected with light traps. Adults are captured by electrofishing and trammel netting. Fish are tracked using sonic tracking devices and antennas. A number of razorback have been implanted with sonic tags and tracked with hydrophones.
Purpose: Document the size and extent of the population of razorback sucker in Lake Powell and determine the extent of spawning.
Location: San Juan River, Shiprock to Clay Hills
When: March-October; As of 2020 we are no longer conducting the catfish population and diet study; fish population (demographics) monitoring will continue every fall (typically 3 trips between Shiprock and Clay Hills with interchanging crews from different entities).
How: Intensive raft mounted electrofishing.
Purpose: This project has had various objectives that have evolved over time. One objective that remains is to assess the abundance, distribution, and survival of stocked Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. Formerly, we have conducted control and removal for non-native catfish; have tried to describe the effects of catfish predation on native fishes (research is still taking place using our field samples from 2018/2019); and have assessed the size and extent of the catfish population and how it has changed over time with removal efforts. The work is a cooperative projects with the USFWS, Navajo Nation, Kansas State University and State of New Mexico.
Larval Razorback Sucker Monitoring, San Juan River:
*This is actually three projects compressed into one general description*
Location: Desolation Canyon of the Green River (88 river miles), Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River (36 river miles), and Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River (89 river miles)
When: 3 trips in Deso and Westwater and 1 trip in Cat., each lasting 8-10 days in September and October. The sampling in Deso and Westwater take place on two year rotations. The Deso chub population was sampled in 2018 and 2019. Westwater chubs will be sampled this year and in 2021. We sample in Cataract Canyon every other year, next sample taking place in 2022.
How: Trammel netting from motorized catarafts and sportboats as well as baited hoop net sampling. Rapids are rowed by all boats except the sportboats in Westwater and Cataract.
Purpose: To assess the number, distribution, and population trends of humpback chub and bonytail in each of these canyon bound populations. Population estimates are derived using mark-recapture techniques. These three canyons contain nearly all of the humpbacks in the upper Colorado River Basin, with Westwater having the most dense population.
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| Chub camp in Desolation Canyon |
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| Setting up chub camp in Cataract Canyon |
Larval, Young-of-Year, and Age-1 Razorback Sucker Monitoring, Green and Colorado Rivers:
Location: Labyrinth & Stillwater Canyons of the Green River (120 river miles); Lower Colorado River (Cisco to confluence with Green: 110 river miles).
When: 6-8 trips lasting 1-5 days during May through August.
How: Larvae are collected with light traps, YOY and age-1 fish are collecting by seining. Travel is conducted using motorized Jon boats.
Purpose: Determine the relative success, timing, and locations of spawning by stocked razorback suckers. In the mid to late 90's razorbacks were believed to be extirpated from most of the basin and in the late 90's a large stocking program was initiated. In recent years populations of stocked fish have grown dense enough to begin successfully spawning. This project is used to determine the extent of their spawning and determine if the young produced are able to survive their first year and recruit to the population.
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| Looking through a seine sample |
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| Young-of-year razorback sucker |
Smallmouth Bass and Walleye Control, Green and Colorado Rivers:
Location: Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, Desolation/Gray Canyons, Labyrinth/Stillwater Canyons; Colorado River in Meander Canyon and lower Westwater Canyon.
When: February-November; varying number of 3 to 7 day trips on the Green River in Desolation and Dinosaur N.M. June through August; frequent spring and fall day trips to the Green River up and downstream from Green River State Park and to the Colorado River just below Westwater canyon upstream from Cisco
How: Intensive cataraft and jet boat electrofishing.
Purpose: To reduce and control nonnative smallmouth bass and walleye populations throughout the Green and Colorado Rivers. This removal efforts aims to reduce predation of native fish by these non-natives and reduce competition for habitat and resources. This work is part of a large collaborative effort between the States of Utah, State of Colorado, and the USFWS. The Moab Field Station works in three sections of the Green River within the basin.
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| Ray Mcgrew and a smallmouth bass in Desolation Canyon |
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Cataraft electrofishing in Desolation Canyon
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Location: Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve in Moab, UT
When: April - September; sporadic field visits from town
How: Create suitable nursery habitat for razorback sucker, monitor by light trapping, seining, hoop/fyke netting, TBD
Purpose: In 2019 an inlet channel was dug from the Colorado River into the Scott M Matheson Wetlands Preserve in hopes to create nursery habitat for larval razorback suckers. Historically, the wetland would get flooded every other year but due to rising temperatures, lower annual precipitation, and the construction of dams this is no longer the case. This inlet channel is designed to draw larval razorbacks into the wetland and give them a chance to grow during the most vulnerable stage of their life. A concrete control structure was built to control water coming in and out of the wetland. Additionally, fish screens were installed to keep out large-bodied fish while allowing larval razorbacks to enter the wetland when filling. Sampling by light trapping of the inlet channel will begin in April to look for presence of larval razorback sucker. Once presence of razorback larvae is detected, we will open the gates and begin filling the wetland. The goal is for razorback larvae to drift up into the wetland. We will monitor for presence of larvae in the wetland using light traps. The wetland will be filled until peak flows begin to taper off and then the gates will be closed until we determine it is adequate timing to drain the wetland and return fish to the main channel. We will attempt to sample fish during draining by implementing a fish trap. In these early stages of the project, we simply wish to determine: if larval fish, particularly razorback sucker, are moving into the wetland; if these fish are surviving and growing larger as the summer progresses; and how long into the summer this remains viable habitat for razorbacks. Sampling at the Matheson wetland and design of the inlet structure will evolve overtime as we learn more through field studies and experimentation.
Aerial view of the dug out channel and concrete control structure
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| Aerial view of the Colorado River and Matheson wetland (right) taken June 2019 |
Razorback Sucker Monitoring, Lake Powell:
Location: San Juan arm and Colorado arm of Lake PowellWhen: April through June; Trip lengths and specific goals/sampling methods used have varied each year
How: Larvae are collected with light traps. Adults are captured by electrofishing and trammel netting. Fish are tracked using sonic tracking devices and antennas. A number of razorback have been implanted with sonic tags and tracked with hydrophones.
Purpose: Document the size and extent of the population of razorback sucker in Lake Powell and determine the extent of spawning.
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| Jonathan Dutrow keepin' it real in Lake Powell rainstorm |
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| Enjoying a Lake Powell sunrise after picking up light traps |
Channel Catfish Population and Diet Study / Endangered Fish Population Monitoring, San Juan River:
Location: San Juan River, Shiprock to Clay Hills
When: March-October; As of 2020 we are no longer conducting the catfish population and diet study; fish population (demographics) monitoring will continue every fall (typically 3 trips between Shiprock and Clay Hills with interchanging crews from different entities).
How: Intensive raft mounted electrofishing.
Purpose: This project has had various objectives that have evolved over time. One objective that remains is to assess the abundance, distribution, and survival of stocked Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. Formerly, we have conducted control and removal for non-native catfish; have tried to describe the effects of catfish predation on native fishes (research is still taking place using our field samples from 2018/2019); and have assessed the size and extent of the catfish population and how it has changed over time with removal efforts. The work is a cooperative projects with the USFWS, Navajo Nation, Kansas State University and State of New Mexico.
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| Zach Aherns with a channel catfish |
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| Karen Burke and an adult Colorado pikeminnow on the middle San Juan |
Location: San Juan River, Sand Island to Clay Hills
When: March-June; 4 trips lasting 5-7 days each; This project was set to begin in Spring 2020 but with the field season being postponed until June, it will not be able to begin until 2021
How: Larval drift netting, seining, light trapping
Purpose: This project was developed to further investigate the reproduction success of stocked razorback suckers in the San Juan River. We wish to determine the relative success, timing, and locations of spawning by stocked razorback suckers.
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| Gear boat floating through Government Rapid on the lower San Juan |
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| The beautiful lower San Juan |
