Date of Award:

12-2011

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Watershed Sciences

Committee Chair(s)

Todd Crowl

Committee

Todd Crowl

Committee

Nicolaas Bouwes

Committee

Thomas Hardy

Abstract

The endangered June sucker (Chasmistes liorus mictus), which is only found in Utah Lake, UT, historically spawned in all streams flowing into the lake, but due to human-caused changes their spawning is restricted to the Provo River. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the spawning and early life-history of the
June sucker for recovery purposes. My specific objectives were to determine:

  1. what environmental factors attract or deter June suckers to certain Utah Lake tributaries for spawning,
  2. what cues June suckers to migrate upstream to spawn,
  3. if June suckers use more than one tributary for spawning,
  4. what limiting factors exist in these smaller tributaries.

To accomplish this, I performed weekly trap-netting surveys and installed passive integrated transponder tag reader systems into five Utah Lake tributaries during the
spring of 2008 to determine if suckers were using multiple streams for spawning and to determine the timing and number of fish migrating upstream to spawn. I coupled the
trap-netting data and migration data with environmental data in a statistical model to establish the strongest relationships that exist between fish migration and environmental factors. I found that June suckers were present at the mouths of all tributaries sampled and migrated up three of the five tributaries during the spawning season. The Provo River was the tributary most used. Evidence of reproduction was found in four of the five tributaries by the presence of larval June suckers.

One of my statistical models indicated that lower total dissolved solids of the tributaries influenced higher catch rates at the mouths of the tributaries. Another statistical model indicated discharge was the most important variable for upstream migration. Specifically, increasing flows appeared to cue migration and decreasing flows cued spawning. I also found the most likely limiting factors in the smaller tributaries are degraded water quality and lack of available spawning habitat. Streams that were most impacted (poor water quality and little or no spawning habitat) had no suckers present.

Results from this study show fish are selecting less degraded streams for spawning. Stream restoration projects, in the smaller tributaries, would likely increase
the spawning habitat for June suckers and aid their recovery.

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Comments

Publication made available electronically December 21, 2011.

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