19_-_Nevada_Dept__of_Wildlife__Letter_of_Support.pdf
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- NV ASH MEADOWS NWR CRY SPRNGS RESTORE Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 140FGA25R0003
About this file
This is a letter of support from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) to the SNPLMA Executive Committee endorsing the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge's funding proposal for the Crystal Spring Outflow Restoration project. The letter, dated November 4, 2021, details NDOW's strong support for restoration actions that will improve native fish habitat, stream morphology, and stream function within Crystal Spring's outflow.
The proposed project includes specific technical elements such as installing removable fish barriers, implementing eDNA monitoring for early detection of centrarchids, and potential rotenone treatments to eradicate nonnative fish. NDOW commits to providing staff resources totaling 1,200 hours over multiple years, including 150 hours from a Supervising Fisheries Biologist, 650 hours from a Fisheries Biologist III, and 400 hours from a Conservation Aid. The letter cites successful implementation of similar approaches in the Muddy River, Clark County, where removable fish barriers were used to manage a 22-mile river reach during nonnative fish eradication efforts.
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Text version
November 4, 2021
SNPLMA Executive Committee
BLM Southern Nevada District Office
4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89130
RE: Letter of Support for the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge’s Proposal Titled Crystal
Spring Outflow Restoration
Dear Executive Committee:
It is our understanding that the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife
Refuge (Refuge) will be submitting a request for funding through the Southern Nevada Public
Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) to perform numerous restoration actions to the Crystal
Spring outflow and associated infrastructure. This project will improve native fish habitat, stream morphology, and stream function within Crystal Spring’s outflow; promote fish passage and flood management; eliminate a known source of problematic nonnative fish; and promote effective early detection and management of nonnative fish. The Nevada Department of
Wildlife (NDOW) strongly supports the Refuge’s SNPLMA proposal to perform these beneficial restoration actions to the Crystal Spring outflow.
Numerous aquatic spring systems, including Crystal Spring and its outflow, at Ash Meadows
National Wildlife Refuge are natural habitats for a unique suite of endemic fishes and other aquatic species. Every native fish occurring at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is classified as protected by the State of Nevada (NAC 503.065). Restoring aquatic systems to a more naturally functioning condition and improving long-term channel stability is a key principle of native fish management. The introduction and establishment of nonnative fish populations has had severe and lasting negative impacts to native fishes in Nevada, including at
Crystal Spring. Reclaiming the reservoirs and ditches in the outflow area of Crystal Spring will eliminate a known source of nonnative fish and provide broad ecological benefit for aquatic and terrestrial species. The proposed actions will allow for implementation of a strategic approach to eradicate, detect, and manage nonnative fish through eDNA monitoring, improved
TONY WASLEY
Director
BONNIE LONG
Deputy Director
JACK ROBB
Deputy Director
STATE OF NEVADA
DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE
6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120
Reno, Nevada 89511
Phone (775) 688-1500 • Fax (775) 688-1495 Steve Sisolak
Governor water control infrastructure, and installation of multiple removable fish barriers. This approach has been successfully employed by NDOW elsewhere in Nevada to aid in eradication and prevention of upstream migration of nonnative fish; a series of removable fish barriers exist in the Muddy River, Clark County, Nevada which allowed us to break a 22-mile reach of river into three smaller treatment reaches during our rotenone treatment to eradicate nonnative fish from the lower Muddy River and provides the opportunity to remove the barriers after successful eradication or re-install the fish barriers if new nonnative fish introductions are detected. The Refuge’s proposal to utilize eDNA to detect centrarchids will expedite early detection and allow for a rapid response to upstream movement or introductions of centrarchids.
The Refuge and NDOW have a long history of working collaboratively at Ash Meadows National
Wildlife Refuge; we are committed to continuing that partnership and will provide field and technical assistance for this project in any way we can, including salvaging native fish and implementing rotenone treatments to eradicate nonnative fish within the Crystal Spring system, if needed. We anticipate NDOW staff time contributions towards this project to include
150 hours (30 hours/year) for a Supervising Fisheries Biologist, 650 hours (130 hours/year) for a
Fisheries Biologist III, and 400 hours (80 hours/year) for a Conservation Aid. Again, NDOW strongly supports the Refuge’s application for SNPLMA funding to perform restoration actions at the Crystal Spring outflow. We look forward to continuing to work cooperatively with the
Refuge to implement conservation and recovery actions. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this letter of support, please contact me at (702) 668-3999 or at bsenger@ndow.org. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Brandon Senger
Supervising Fisheries Biologist
Nevada Department of Wildlife cc:
Michael Bower, Refuge Manager, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife
Service, Amargosa Valley, NV
Kevin Guadalupe, Fisheries Biologist, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Las Vegas, NV mailto:bsenger@ndow.org
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