NPS Fisheries Program Updates:

Humpback chub translocations

to Grand Canyon Tributaries

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Grand Canyon National Park

Brian Healy, Emily Omana Smith, Melissa Trammel, Clay Nelson, Craig 

Paukert, Jon Spurgeon, Marianne Crawford, Dave Speas
Cooperators

•Funded by Reclamation, NPS, USGS
Background – Humpback Chub 

Translocations

 USFWS 1994 Biological Opinion – Establish a 2nd

“Spawning Aggregation” of humpback chub

 Valdez et al. 2000 – Developed plan for establishing 

second population of humpback chub in Grand 

Canyon

 Conservation Measures: USFWS 2008, 2011

 NPS Comprehensive Fisheries Management Plan 

2013
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Background – Humpback Chub 

Translocations
Translocations - Current Efforts

 Translocations of Juvenile Humpback Chub from the 

Little Colorado River to Shinumo and Havasu Creeks

 Bright Angel Creek? 

 Continuing trout control

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Translocation Goals

 Experimental

 Establish 2nd Spawning Population in Grand Canyon

 Provide rearing habitat for Juvenile Humpback Chub

 Augmentation of Colorado River Aggregations
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Grand Canyon – Translocation Sites
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Translocation – Evaluation

 Questions:

Will Translocated Humpback Chub:

1. Survive/remain?

2. Grow?

3. Reproduce?

4. Augment the mainstem aggregations?

 Field Monitoring Framework:

 Twice per year

 Netting

 Remote PIT tag Antenna - Emigration (Shinumo only)

Joe Tomellari
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Tributary Translocations

Shinumo Creek:

 302 in June 2009

 300 in June 2010

 300 in June 2011

 200 in June 2013 (“soft” release to improve retention)

Havasu Creek:

 242 in June 2011

 298 in May 2012

 300 in May 2013

Melissa Trammell/NPS
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Apparent Survival – Havasu Creek

 Latest Estimates:

 Havasu – May 2013

 2011 cohort:

 Monthly: 0.94 –0.95

 Annual: 0.45 – 0.57

 2012 cohort:

 Monthly: 0.90 –0.94

 Annual: 0.29 – 0.46

Amy Martin/NPS Photos
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Apparent Survival – Shinumo Creek

 Latest Estimates:

 Shinumo – 1 year after release

 2009 cohort: 0.10 - 0.43

 2010 cohort: 0.11 - 0.36

 2011 cohort: 0.21 - 0.44 

 2013 cohort: NA
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Population Estimates – Havasu Creek

 Once/year: May

 Translocated and Non-translocated Humpback Chub 

243

298

300
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Population Estimates - Shinumo 

 Twice/year: June and September (2010-2013) 

300 300 200
 50.4% as of Jan., 2013

 Antenna efficiency: ??

• 2013 analysis in progress:

• “Soft” release = higher 

retention

• No 2013 fish in mainstem

Emigration - Shinumo
Growth – Shinumo Creek 

Robinson and Childs 2001 : LCR Growth
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Growth – Havasu Creek 
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Reproduction?

 Shinumo 2013: 

 No ripe fish

 Havasu 2013:

 2 ripe females

 2 untagged juveniles

 (ripe fish in 2012)

 Ultrasound data (GCMRC)
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Will Translocations Augment Colorado River 

Humpback Chub Aggregations?

 Yes - See Bill Persons/Randy VanHaverbeke –

GCMRC/USFWS
Questions?

Amy Martin Photo
Reports/Publications 

 Spurgeon (2012) Masters thesis. University of 

Missouri

 Spurgeon et al. (In Prep). Translocations of large river 

fishes: implications for conservation of endangered 

humpback chub. 

 Trammell et al. 2012. Humpback chub translocation to 

Havasu Creek, Grand Canyon National Park: 

implementation and monitoring plan. NPS Natural 

Resource Report Series. 

 Spurgeon et al. (In review). Settlement of humpback 

chub into novel food webs: considering species 

interactions in translocation studies. Journal of 

Aquatic Biology.