Conservation action plan and science agenda from stakeholder-led workshops

The Upper Red River workshop planning was part of the Southern Great Plains Native Fish Conservation Area planning process - An interdisciplinary team of 45 fish and wildlife conservation professionals representing conservation non-profits, universities, state and federal agencies gathered for a series of conservation planning workshops in the early spring of 2016. Priority actions now provide the groundwork for a conservation action plan that will guide partner investments over the next 5-10 years in cooperative, watershed-scale conservation of native fishes and other aquatic resources in the Upper Brazos, Red, and Canadian rivers.

Upper Red River NFCA Action Plan Summary

Six priority projects were identified at the workshop to address the primary stressors within the upper Red River that include groundwater extraction, habitat fragmentation, dewatering, flow regime alteration, water pollution, and introduction of non-native species including invasive Saltcedar.

• Conduct an intensive fish community assessment of the Red River and tributaries - a. Sampling program of Red River and tributaries, b. Include targeted sampling for Gulf Killifish and Sheepshead Minnow. Include collection of tissue samples from Red River Pupfish to assess possible hybridization with Sheepshead Minnow, c. Incorporate freshwater mussel surveys

• Captive propagation and refugia for prairie minnows - a. Develop captive propagation techniques, b. Develop protocols/best practices for holding refuge populations, c. Utilize known life-history stages of focal species in development of larval and juvenile fish identification keys for prairie minnows

• Conduct research to describe the basic life-history requirements (flow-ecology relationships & diet) of Prairie Chub

• Document migration of Prairie Chub, Red River Shiner and Red River Pupfish and identify important spawning and nursery areas

• Determine the physical and chemical tolerances of larval and juvenile pelagic-spawning fishes

• Acquire LiDAR imagery for the Red River Basin