Nonnative Fish Control Workshop

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Nonnative Fish Control Workshop Grand Junction,
CO December 12, 2006
Smallmouth Bass Life History Know Thy Enemy
Patrick J. Martinez Colorado Div. of Wildlife
Grand Junction
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Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu
Habitat Water, substrate thermal
conditions Biological Age growth, diet,
reproduction Ecological Interactions with other
biota UCRB Distribution in rivers reservoirs
invasiveness Control Mechanical, habitat,
chemical, policies?
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Smallmouth Bass - Habitat
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Smallmouth Bass - BIOLOGICAL
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SMB Age Growth and Body Condition
Age Growth
Colorado River in Grand Valley Middle Yampa
River
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Smallmouth Bass - Ecological
SMB prey on native fishes
Some SMB cannibalism
SMB prey energy content (cal./kg) insects_at_400,
fish_at_600 crayfish_at_800 crayfish absent in YAR
in 1977, now abundant
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Colorado Yampa
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Small-bodied Fish (SBF) Equivalents
Estimated SBF biomassannual production 160
kg/km
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Smallmouth Bass - UCRB
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SMB Origins Invasiveness in UCRB
Flaming Gorge
Elkhead
Bottle Hollow
Rio Blanco
Harvey Gap
Starvation
Rifle Gap
Juniata
Blue Mesa?
Lake Powell
McPhee
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In CO
COR abundant rare common
GUR none rare none
WHR common rare rare
YAR abundant abundant abundant
Time late 1800s 1970s 1990s
establ. early 1900s 1980s 2000s
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Despite reported purported angler enthusiasm
for utilization of SMB fishery in Yampa River
- SMB maintain widespread abundance, high
densities in some reaches, and have recently
expanded their range into DNM
- SMB retain high PSD despite demographics
suggesting only moderately productive population
characteristics
- SMB display high Wr, which is more attributable
to crayfish availability than to removal by
angler harvest
- Key issue in native fish protection scenario
becomes how feasible would it be to encourage
angler harvest as supplemental means of SMB
reduction control in YAR
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The Use of Water Temperature, Discharge
Turbidity to Approximate the Duration of Optimal
Conditions for Smallmouth Bass Angling in the
Yampa River
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RBT decline in foraging strikes feeding
behavior at higher turbidity, also prey within
visual field often ignored
SMB increased turbidity reduced reaction to
prey, but not foraging success upon reacting to
prey
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• Suspended sediment transport
• - YAR above LSR near Maybell, 1998-2002
• QS 0.0000581 Q2.13, where QS sediment
  discharge in tons per day Q water discharge in
  cfs
• - Elliot, J. G. S. P. Anders. 2005. Summary of
  sediment data from the YAR Upper GRR Basins, CO
  UT, 1993-2003.

• Suspended sediment concentration (SSC)
• QS QW SSC 0.0027, where QS sediment
  discharge in tons per day QW water discharge
  in cfs SSC suspended sediment concentration in
  mg/l
• - Dinehart, R. L. ????. Sediment transport at
  gaging stations near Mt. St. Helens, WA,
  1980-1990. Data collection analysis. USGS.
  http//vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/Sediment_Trans/
  PP1573/PDF/pg1-30.pdf

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Convert SSC to NTU (Nephlometric Turbidity
Units) - SCCmg/l 3.399 NTU 5.603 - Barrett,
J. C., et al. 1992. Turbidity-induced changes in
reactive distance of rainbow trout. TAFS
121437-443.
Rainbow trout reactive distance vs. turbidity
(NTU) - RDcm -1.09 NTU 52.81, where RD
reactive distance in cm - Barrett, J. C., et al.
1992. Turbidity-induced changes in reactive
distance of rainbow trout. TAFS 121437-443.
Smallmouth bass RD vs. NTU - RDcm 65.0
2.718(-0.05 NTU) - Sweka, J. A. K. J. Hartman.
2003. Reduction of reactive distance foraging
success in smallmouth bass exposed to elevated
turbidity levels. Environ. Bio. of Fishes
121437-443.
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http//www.deq.state.or.us/WQ/WQRules/Rulemaking/D
iv041DraftTechBasisRevTurbidity.pdf
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1996-2005 Discharge
1998 High flow
2004 Low flow
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1998-2005 Temperature
1998
2004
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1998 Temperature
Jun 15- Sept 30 16 weeks
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1998 Discharge
Aug 7- Sept 30 8 weeks
Access by boat 5 weeks
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2004 Temperature
Jun 1- Sept 30 18 weeks
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2004 Discharge
Jul 7- Sept 30 12 weeks
Access by boat 5 weeks
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Yampa River smallmouth bass sport fishery
- restricted to 8-12 optimum weeks in Jul, Aug
Sep
- lt200 cfs limits boat access for anglers to only
5 weeks
- further restricted by base flow storm induced
turbidity
- shore access limited due to road conditions
(storms)
- SMB fishability 6-10 weeks due to turbidity
access
- private land restricts public access in some
reaches
- angler use characterized as low, fish
unpressured
- unpredictable access turbidity limits
organized derby
- angling unable to control SMB due to local
conditions
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June 2005
August 2005
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Smallmouth Bass - Control
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