Technical Report

Fishes of the Mainstem Rio Grande; Bernalillo to Fort Craig, New Mexico (June 1999 Through June 2001)

URL: https://webapps.usgs.gov/mrgescp/documents/Remshardt%20et%20al_2003_Fishes%20of%20the%20Mainstem%20Rio%20Grande%20Bernalillo%20to%20Fort%20Craig%2C%20NM%20June%201999%20through%20June%202001.pdf

Date: 2003/04/14

Author(s): Remshardt W.J., Smith J.R., Hoagstrom C.W.

Publication: Report prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and City of Albuquerque, 76 p.

Abstract:

Between June 1999 and June 2001, the Rio Grande, New Mexico was sampled between Bernalillo and Fort Craig. This represents the majority of the remaining range for the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus). A total of 116,605 fish were collected in 11,152 seine hauls that covered 251,110 m² . The fish community was primarily associated with shallow depth and slow velocity. Fluvial and sensitive native fish species have mostly disappeared from the study area. Flathead chub and longnose dace are more typical of headwater streams and maintain limited presence while Rio Grande silvery minnow, the sole remaining representative of the mainstem Rio Grande fluvial fish community, is in steep decline. Otherwise, the fish community is homogenized, with a few widespread species having variable success, depending upon reach-specific habitat conditions.