62,763 square meters

February 7, 2012

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

33

June 11, 2012

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

93

N/O

N/O N/O

29,176 square meters

Bosque del Apache I Sampling Site

29

33

9

24

4

13

10

22

26

18

14

5

23

30

28

21

19

12

29

33

24

4

10

5

30

12

9

13

22

26

24

18

14

23

28

21

19

16

17

33 ̊53’

106 ̊50’45”

33 ̊52’45”

106 ̊51’

33 ̊52’30”

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

1

55

16

39

17

53

81

38

2

22

32

42

36

73

28

26

49

67

37

7

31

91

12

19

89

93

92

82

20

106 ̊51’ 106 ̊50’45”

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

Delineation of secondary channel within point bar. Location where photo was taken is not shown 

on map because the mapping effort at the Bosque del Apache I sampling site on December 7, 2011, 

could not be completed because snow and ice made determination and delineation of mesohabitat 

types problematic. Photograph by Daniel K. Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey, December 7, 2011. 

Water being transferred from the conveyance channel to the main channel of the Rio Grande 

approximately 700 feet downstream from the Bosque del Apache I site. Photograph by Daniel K. Pearson, 

U.S. Geological Survey. 

Looking southwest toward the upstream boundary of the Bosque del Apache I 

sampling site. Photograph taken by Daniel K. Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey, on 

September 28, 2011, when river bed was nearly dry and diversions for agriculture 

were still taking place.

Winter 2011–12

February 7, 2012

Summer 2012

June 11, 2012

Arroyo del Tajo Sampling Site

34 ̊2’45”

34 ̊2’30”

34 ̊2’15”

16

5

11

23

42

44

17

29

47

38

32

31

14

13

35

30

19

21

106 ̊52’ 106 ̊51’45”

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

18*

46*

*Habitat parameters were not measured

at these locations, but fish collection

was attempted.

13

12

7

23

31

22

49

30 44

4

48

28

39

33

47

37

104

101

79

65

58

67

53

70

57

68

69

80

55

54

107

106 ̊52’ 106 ̊51’45”

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

Winter 2011–12

December 1, 2011

Summer 2012

June 8, 2012

Seining by U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel at unknown location within the Arroyo del Tajo 

sampling site. Photograph by U.S. Geological Survey on June 9, 2012.

80,015 square meters

December 1, 2011

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

50

N/O

N/O

N/O

49,697 square meters

June 8, 2012

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

109

N/O

San Pedro Sampling Site

1

51

27

20

67

61

47

31

25

3

82

55

58

74

81

66

60

71

59

46

12

50

76

36

86

63

54

73

106 ̊51’15” 106 ̊51’

A

40*

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

*Habitat parameters were not measured at 

this location, but fish were collected.

7

2 5

6

4

3

8

18

12

11

9

17

10

16

33 ̊54’30”

106 ̊51’15” 106 ̊51’

33 ̊54’15”

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

1

14

18

15

13

17

9

16

11

12

10

20

19

1

7

8

5

2

6

4

3

106 ̊51’15” 106 ̊51’

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

0 125 250 375 500 FEET

33 ̊54’30”

33 ̊54’15”

43,435 square meters

December 3, 2011

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

25

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

N/O

N/O

42,345 square meters

February 6, 2012

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

N/O

N/O

N/O

30,313 square meters

June 9, 2012

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

84

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

N/O

Winter 2011–12

December 3, 2011

Winter 2011–12

February 6, 2012

Summer 2012

June 9, 2012

Pumps transferring water from the conveyance channel to the main channel of the Rio Grande 

near San Pedro; the photograph was taken outside the mapped area shown. Photograph by 

Daniel K. Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey, June 9, 2012.

A

Facing downstream at midchannel and approximately mid-reach in the San Pedro sampling site. 

Photograph by Daniel K. Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey, June 9, 2012. 

Fish Assemblage Composition and Mapped Mesohabitat Features Over a Range of Streamflows

in the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, Winter 2011–12, Summer 2012

By

Daniel K. Pearson, Christopher L. Braun, and J. Bruce Moring

2015 Printed on recycled paper

ISBN 978-1-4113-4010-7

9 7 8141 1 3401 0 7

ISSN 2329-1311 (print)

ISSN 2329-132X (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3350

ABBREVIATIONS and EXPLANATION

pools

riffles

forewaters

backwaters

flats

isolated pools

channel bar*

point bar*

*Not included in wetted mesohabitat area 

donut graphs or bar graphs showing 

number of wetted mesohabitats mapped

flat

riffle

run

pool

isolated pool

backwater

forewater

embayment

runs

Base from Middle Rio Grande Conservation District,

March–May 2012, 0.5-foot resolution compressed mosaic,

New Mexico State Plane Central Zone,

North American Datum of 1983

Base from Bureau of Reclamation,

February 2012, 1.5-foot resolution compressed mosaic,

New Mexico State Plane Central Zone,

North American Datum of 1983

Base credit in maps for Peña Blanca, Bernalillo, La Orilla,

Barelas, Los Padillas, Los Lunas I, and Los Lunas II (sheets 3 and 4) 

Base credit in maps for Abeytas, La Joya, Rio Salado, Lemitar, Arroyo del Tajo, San Pedro,

Bosque del Apache I, and Bosque del Apache II (sheets 5, 6, and 7)

U.S. Geological Survey sampling

sites short names and map identifier

Peña Blanca, PNB

Bernalillo, BRN

La Orilla, LOR

Barelas, BAR

Los Padillas, PAD

Los Lunas I, LL1

Los Lunas II, LL2

Abeytas, ABY

La Joya, LJY

Rio Salado, RSL

Lemitar, LEM

Arroyo del Tajo, ATJ

San Pedro, SPD

Bosque del Apache I, BA1

Bosque del Apache II, BA2

45,744 square meters**

Wetted mesohabitat area

NOTE: Mesohabitat area donut plots are scaled relative to one another as a function of area.

NOTE: Numbered mesohabitats labeled in yellow correspond to the subset of mesohabitats where Rio Grande silvery minnows were caught.

NOTE: Numbered mesohabitats that are outlined in black on maps correspond to the subset of mesohabitats where physical habitat measurements

 (and water-quality properties were measured in summer 2012) and fish collection was attempted. 

August 11, 2012

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Number of wetted mapped mesohabitats

93

N/O (not observed)

Total number

of wetted 

mesohabitats 

mapped

Date site was mapped

**Total areal extent of wetted

mesohabitat mapped 

Photo identifier and direction facing when

photograph was taken

A

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and 

does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, 

Denver, CO 80225, 1–888–ASK–USGS

Digital files available at http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3350

Suggested citation: Pearson, D.K., Braun, C.L., and Moring, J.B., 2015, Fish assemblage 

composition and mapped mesohabitat features over a range of streamflows in the Middle 

Rio Grande, New Mexico, winter 2011–12, summer 2012: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Map 3350, 7 sheets, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3350.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Map 3350

Sheet 6 of 7

Prepared in cooperation with the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service