Publication
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Salvage and Rescue 2014 Annual Report
Date: 2015/01/20
Author(s): Archdeacon T.P., Henderson K.R., Cook R.L., Austring T.J.
Publication: Prepared for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 22 p.
Abstract:
Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (RGSM) are often trapped in isolated pools during times of river drying from June to October each year. Salvage of RGSM is performed by staff from the New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office with assistance and coordination from several other agencies. Rio Grande Silvery Minnow are collected from isolated pools each day drying occurs and transported on UTVs equipped with water tanks supplied and aerated with pure oxygen. Rescued RGSM are then transported and released into areas with continuous flow. Any RGSM found dead are classified as either incidental take if found during first drying, or attributed to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit if found during secondary drying events.
Between 20 June and 27 September 2014, 26.3 unique miles of the main channel of the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) became intermittent, with 3.2 miles in the Isleta reach, and 23.1 miles in the San Acacia reach. We observed 630 RGSM in isolated pools during this time period. Of these, 559 were found alive and transported to a location within the same reach with flowing water. We found 71 dead RGSM. Seventy of the 71dead RGSM were associated with first river drying and we attributed them as incidental take to water operations in the MRG during the 2014 irrigation season (under the 2003 Biological and Conference Opinions on the effects of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Water and River Maintenance Operations, Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control Operation, and related Non-Federal Actions on the Middle Rio Grande). The other RGSM found dead was assigned to the USFWS take permit. The level of approved incidental take (259 observed take multiplied by 50) was 12,952 RGSM for 2014.