Technical Report

Middle Rio Grande Riverine Habitat Restoration Fisheries Monitoring Spring 2008 Report

URL: https://webapps.usgs.gov/mrgescp/documents/Gonzales%20and%20Hatch_2009_MRG%20Riverine%20Habitat%20Restoration%20Fisheries%20Monitoring%20Spring%202008%20Final%20Report.pdf

Date: 2009/03/01

Author(s): Gonzales E., Hatch M.D.

Publication: Report prepared for New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, 131 p.

Abstract:

The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission has employed a number of habitat restoration techniques in the Albuquerque Reach of the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) to provide improved habitat for egg retention, spawning, recruitment and other life stages of the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus; silvery minnow). Restoration sites within the Albuquerque Reach are intended to provide floodplain habitat that inundates at low to high spring runoff. Fisheries monitoring was conducted in spring 2008 to document silvery minnow presence on habitat restoration sites as well as on naturally occurring floodplain sites. Information collected during this monitoring effort documents the occupancy of reproductively mature silvery minnow and the presence of their eggs on both habitat restoration sites and naturally occurring floodplain.

Fisheries monitoring occurred May 12–June 11, 2008 at five habitat restoration sites within the Albuquerque Reach and at one naturally occurring floodplain site in the Isleta Reach of the MRG. Fish were collected with D-frame fyke nets, and eggs and larval fish were collected with D-frame kick nets from all monitoring sites. Movement from the main channel onto the floodplain was studied at two sites by placing paired fyke nets positioned to capture fish swimming onto and off of the sites. Silvery minnow captures were standardized by dividing the number of fish captured by the time each net was soaked on each day (catch per unit effort [CPUE] = fish/hour). In addition, silvery minnow eggs were collected from the main channel using Moore Egg Collectors (Altenbach et al. 2000) set for 15–60 min on each sampling date.