The Lower Virgin River Fish Recovery Implementation Team (Team) is holding a meeting on a draft plan to remove predatory, non-native fish from the Virgin River as part of an effort to protect native fish. The public meeting will be held on July 30 at 6 p.m. at the Virgin Valley Water District office on 500 Riverside Road in Mesquite.
The public is encouraged to attend to learn more about the project and to provide comments on the proposal. The Team wants to ensure that all human and natural resource impacts are taken into consideration. The comment period closes September 1, 2002.
The Team comprises representatives of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Nevada Division of Wildlife, Arizona Department of Game and Fish, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Fish & Wildlife Service. The goal of the RIT is to develop a plan that will lead to stable, self-sustaining populations of native fish in the Virgin River.
The Team proposes to remove blue tilapia from between the Mesquite and Bunkerville agricultural diversion dams and install fish barriers within the irrigation system to prevent the non-native fish from invading the upper Virgin River. The river would be treated with rotenone, a naturally occurring substance that affects fish but has no known effects to humans or wildlife in the concentrations that are planned for this treatment.
Rotenone is commonly applied on dairy cows and in gardens as an insecticide. It has been successfully and safely used by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in the upper Virgin River near St. George to remove non-native fish. Rotenone will rapidly neutralize in the Virgin River due to the natural river conditions and a detoxicant added at the downstream end of the treatment area.
Comments must be received by September 1, 2002 to the Assistant Field Supervisor, Southern Nevada Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV, 89130. Comments will also be accepted via facsimile at (702) 515-5231, or email at fw1vegasvirginriver@fws.gov">.
For further information, please contact Shawn Goodchild at (702) 515-5230, or by email at the above address.
