Emily Om

Brian H

Nelson

Tram

Humpback Chub Translocations 

Havasu and Shinumo creeks, 

Grand Canyon National Park 
Previou

•Funded by Reclamation and NPS •Many, many volunteers helped too! 
 USFWS 1994 Biological Opinion –2nd “spawning 

aggregation” of Humpback Chub 

 Conservation Measures in USFWS 2008 & 2011 B

Opinions – tributary Humpback Chub translocation

 NPS Comprehensive Fisheries Management Plan 2 Valdez et al. 2000- establish second population in 

Canyon 

1. Havasu Creek 2. Shinumo Creek 3. Bright Angel Creek, excluded due to “large number of predat
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell- 15 mile

Hoover Dam & Lake Mead 

HBC i
HBC 1 Establishment of a second spawning and recruiting population in the ma

tributary 

HBC 2 Sufficient survival and growth to provide a rearing (“grow-out”) opportu

augment the local mainstem aggregation 

HBC 3 Failure of at least 20% of HBC to survive in the creek or adjacent mains

aggregation for at least one year 

NPS Comprehensive Fisheries Management Plan 2013 
1. Conduct Baseline Surveys 

2. Collect, hold, treat, and tag Humpback Chub 3. Translocate Humpback Chub 

Trammell et al. 2012. Humpback Chub TransloGrand Canyon National Park: Implementation 
4. Monitor translocated Humpback Chub and fish community in cr

nearby Colorado River mainstem 

a. Survey twice annually 

b. Survey the mainstem Colorado River annually- GCMRC/FWS 

c. Remove non-native fish captured during surveys 

Trammell et al. 2012. Humpback Chub Translocation to Havasu Creek, Grand Canyon National Park: Implementation and Monitoring Plan 
A Retention of translocated humpback chub over the first year 

B Similar or increased juvenile survival relative to the Little Colorado River and ma

Colorado River near the Little Colorado River inflow 

C Similar or increased growth rates relative to the Little Colorado River and mainst

Colorado River near the Little Colorado River inflow 

D Contribution to and retention of translocated fish to an adjacent mainstem aggre

E Evidence of successful reproduction (presence of larval or young-of-year fish) 

F Evidence of recruitment to mature size 

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 

Began in 2011 
Hatchery 

Tagging Date 

Average 

Length (mm) 

Average 

Weight (g) Release Date 

May 5, 2011 86.1 4.8 June 28, 2

May 10, 2012 124.7 16.7 May 13, 2

May 14, 2013 123.1 14.9 May 9, 20

May 9, 2014 123 16.4 May 14, 2May 9, 2014 124 16.4 June 5, 20

May 13, 2015 131 20.3 May 20, 20

Total= 1650 translocated Humpback Ch
• Fisheries Management Plan Goal = Maintain a minimum 

HBC in Havasu Creek 

 Retention over the first year 
* Different scales 
• Fisheries Management Plan Goal = 20% annual/ 87.5% month

 Similar survival relative to Little Colorado River and nearby ma

(which is higher, Yackulic et al. 2014) 

• May 2016 sampling event will provide 2015 survival estimate- n

release location 

LCR estimate from Yackulic et al. 2014 Red line = average monthly survival of all translocate
* Theoretical LCR juvenile growth curve: Robinson & Childs 2001 

 Similar or increased growth rates relative to the Little Colorado Ri

and mainstem Colorado River (which is lower, Yackulic et al. 2014
Translocation Recapture 

Year TL PIT Tag TL RM Gear 

2011 93 3D9.1C2D99999B 327 171.74 Hoopnet 

2011 93 3D9.1C2D9A980C 157.82 Antenna 

2012 106 3D9.1C2D262E7C 170.05 Antenna 2012 127 3D9.1C2D267570 301 158.06 Hoopnet 

2012 122 3D9.1C2D278DE8 157.86 Antenna 

2013 89 3D9.1C2DE1912F 157.86 Antenna 2013 161 3D9.1C2DE1B1C7 157.82 Antenna 2013 115 3D9.1C2DE1BE64 157.82 Antenna 2013 105 3D9.1C2DE1C1E2 157.86 Antenna 

2013 135 3D9.1C2DE1C306 158.59 Antenna 2013 94 3D9.1C2DE1E860 157.86 Antenna 2013 135 3D9.1C2DE20C10 265 158.46 Hoopnet 

2013 127 3D9.1C2DE210B5 157.82 Antenna 

2013 146 3D9.1C2DE21EF8 171.77 Antenna 

2014 141 3DD.003BA2F910 157.86 Antenna 

2015 172 3DD.003BCB8C55 158.59 Antenna 

September 20HBC capturemainstem nea(thanks to FWS MikGCMRC/FWabout their tr√ Contributioretention of tto adjacent maggregation 
• Ripe translocated HBC 

• Males 137-304 mm • Females 156-284 mm 

• Ripe non-translocated HBC 

• Males 175-280 mm • Females 299-321 mm 

Ripe non-trans

upper 200 mm 15) Recruitment to 
• Outcome 1: Establishment of a second spawning and r

population in the tributary achieved if monitoring d

evidence of successful reproduction and/or evidence orecruitment to mature size. 

• Triggers additional HBC translocations to maintain gen

diversity (see FWS 2010) 

• Minimum of 200 adults maintained • At least 10 migrants/ generation (or add additional 10) • 45-1000 released over a generation (10 years) 

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 

Total= 110
Meeting Objectives for Rearing/Growth/Augmenta
Started by lightning 

then managed; burnapproximately 6500 10% of the watersheTwo floods caused sflood disturbance & widespread depositiocharred wood & ash 

-Water level appeared to have risen at least 12 -15 feet above baseflow -Riparian vegetation reduced by approximately 80-90% -At least one archeology site damaged (Bass Camp) -Macroinvertebrate densities and taxa richness significantly reduced -Fish community reduced by 99% No Chub or Bluehead Suckers remained 
• Two Fall 2014 trips into Merlin & Modred Abyss 

• concluded that the heavy localized rainfall on top of burned a

flooding caused the likely extirpation of all HBC and BHS from watershed 

• RBT present in Merlin Abyss, providing a source for recoloniza

habitat recovers 
• June & September 

• Hoopnetting in the Mainstem Colorado River- Bass Rap

Shinumo Rapid 

• Invertebrate monitoring in Shinumo Creek 
39 individual HBC captured 

- 27 recaps: 15 from Shinumo 

12 non-translocated 

- 12 untagged 

27 individual HBC captured - 15 recaps-all from Shinumo translocations - 12 untagged 
Explore options and compliance for trout removal in upper wa

Monitor recovery of watershed Translocate Humpback Chub 

- were successfully maintaining 200 translocated HBC in cree- good growth - evidence of mainstem augmentation 

successful “grow out” 

Reintroduce Bluehead Sucker 
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E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
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E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A 
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