Oaxaca Cave Sleeper

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Louisiana State University have identified a new genus and species of cavefish from Mexico, the Oaxaca cave sleeper (Caecieleotris morrisi).

The species is the first cave-adapted sleeper goby to be found in the Western Hemisphere. The fish, identified from museum specimens, has not been seen alive in more than two decades and lives in a cave system threatened by damming.

The Oaxaca Cave Sleeper occurs in a single cave system beneath Presa Miguel Alemán reservoir, which is formed by a dam on the Tonto River, a tributary of Mexico’s second largest river.

There are only 13 known individuals, all collected at the same time. Thomas L. Morris, a renowned cave diver and cave biologist who works to protect caves and their inhabitants, collected the fish in 1995.

Morris gave the specimens to the Florida Museum of Natural History where Stephen Walsh, now a researcher with the USGS, recognized the distinctiveness of the new species while in the process of conducting taxonomic research and digitizing the museum’s fish collection.

Walsh and colleague Prosanta Chakrabarty of Louisiana State University compared the specimens to other sleepers, and determined that they represent a new genus and species.

The researchers gave the Oaxaca Cave Sleeper the scientific name Caecieleotris morrisi to honor Morris for his discovery and his dedication to conservation.

Discovery of the new species afforded an opportunity for the USGS to partner with the natural history museum community in designating a scientific name for this unique cavefish.

The paper, A new genus and species of blind sleeper (Teleostei: Eleotridae) from Oaxaca, Mexico: first obligate cave gobiiform in the western hemisphere, was recently published in the journal Copeia, a widely-cited journal that publishes original research on fishes, amphibians and reptiles.

source: U.S. Geological Survey

Middle Columbia River Steelhead Restoration

Middle Columbia River steelhead is listed as a species threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

In 2013, NOAA Fisheries designated a population of Middle Columbia River steelhead as “experimental.” The designation will support the reintroduction of steelhead to historical spawning and rearing habitat in the upper Deschutes, helping to re-establish the population.

As part of ongoing efforts to restore steelhead trout in the watershed, Stearns Dam on the Crooked River has been removed. The dam removal will allow steelheads to access 12 additional miles of quality habitat that was previously inaccessible.

The dam’s removal is the result of collaboration among the Crooked River Watershed Council, NOAA’s Restoration Center, American Rivers, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the local landowner.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Michigan Lake Sturgeon Restoration

More than 5,000 lake sturgeon were stocked by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) during the agency's fall
2013 fish stocking season.

In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit stocked 50 fingerling lake sturgeon into the Kalamazoo River.

The Marquette Fisheries Research Station stocked a total of 598 fingerling lake sturgeon into four sites in the Upper Peninsula.

The DNR's cooperative hatchery with Michigan State University stocked 4,490 fingerling lake sturgeon into Black, Burt and Mullet lakes.

For more information, visit www.michigandnr.com.

source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

White River Partnership Receives National Award

Vermont’s White River Partnership received the 2012 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Passage Program’s Partner of the Year Award at the partnership’s annual meeting in Rochester, Vt.

The partnership, a small community-based non-profit organization, was recognized for its professionalism, dedication, and leadership in response to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The storm damaged thousands of culverts and caused widespread flooding, stranding residents and isolating towns in the White River basin.

Mary and Greg Russ, executive director and project manager of the partnership respectively, acted quickly following the storm to identify failed road culverts and notify local, state, and federal authorities. Their efforts triggered the deployment of Service fish passage engineers and stream restoration experts to ensure that road crossing repairs promoted fish passage.

Fish-friendly crossings not only protect fish, they protect communities and are more economical in the long run because they can withstand flood events.

Based on their experience responding to the 2011 storm, the Russes have continued to advocate for fish-friendly culverts and their environmental, social and economic benefits.

As a result of the on-the-ground response following Irene, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provided nearly $3 million in funding to rebuild storm-damaged infrastructure in the City of Rochester alone. The funds also supported the purchase of land in floodplains for permanent restoration efforts.

The Partnership’s efforts also "helped spur a national discussion on road crossing standards," said Susan Wells, the Service’s national fish passage program coordinator.

Initiated in 1999, the Service’s national fish passage program works with local communities to restore river systems. More than 700 partners nationwide collaborate with the program to rebuild infrastructure for long term resiliency and health of fisheries. Each year the program recognizes the accomplishments of one of these partners.

More Information:

USFWS-National Fish Passage Program: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/facilities/nfpp.html

USFWS-National Fish Passage Program/Northeast: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/fisheries/help/nfpp.html

White River Partnership: http://www.whiteriverpartnership.org/

source: USFWS

How To Make a Fish or Wildlife Pond

When constructing a pond for fish or wildlife, engineers employ a variety of structures that provide essential habitat.

The following list includes several structures that may be required, depending on the size, type and intended use of a pond.

• fish feeders
• pond aerators
• deep channels
• sloping shorelines
• brush piles
• fish attracting devices or artificial reef materials
• shoreline trees-shrubs
• submerged aquatic vegetation (sav)
• lily pads (spatterdock)

Each of these structures have specific requirements and benefits. Some features, such as depth and grading must be calculated during the design phase and implemented at the time of construction.

Other features such as aerators, brush piles, and populations of fish can be placed and supplemented in later phases.

With almost any pond design, size is the most critical factor. Some designs, such as stock tank type ponds, provide some ability to expand the pond size or increase depth.

In some applications, nearby structures will also be required such as food plots for attracting and sustaining migratory waterfowl.