Past and Current Projects
Rites of Passage
This Masters project examined the efficacy of recently installed fishway designs aimed at passing small bodied transition-zone native fish along the Colorado Front Range. Many such species either lack great jumping capacity or are unable to ascend large obstacles given their small size, regardless of jumping ability. Low gradient rock ramp and wingwall bypass structures were continuously monitored through custom built antenna arrays over a two year period to examine the passage success of the local suite of fish species.
It was the large data volume produced by this project that inspired the creation of Vagoferus’ PIT tag parsing software, illuminating not only the passage success or failure of the species involved, but also preferred time of passage, correlations with hydrologic events, and overwintering strategies.
Effect of Substrate Texture on Rock Ramp Passage Success
Focused on the improvement of rock ramp fish passage design, this lab-based Masters compared the affect the size and type of substrate lining a trapezoidal rock ramp style flume would have on three representative transition zone native fish species. Substrates were tested over three gradients, two of which were previously established to prohibit passage for at least one species.
Data analysis established passage at higher gradients than was previously achieved, with success increasing with substrate size. Variation in ascension styles was also explored in the data, as rapid speed of ascent was found to not always guarantee easy passage. Time of travel, holding patterns, and attempts could all be gleaned through software analysis, making quick work of an otherwise herculean task.
Rio Grande Chub and Sucker Movement on the Baca NWR
Created from the Luis Maria Baca Land Grant, the national wildlife refuge is home to one of the only remaining indigenous populations of Rio Grande Suckers and Chub. Though able to persist on the refuge as other populations around the San Luis Valley winked out, habitat availability was truncated by the presence of outdated culverts and head gates from the refuge’s ranching past. Extensive efforts by US Fish and Wildlife Service has seen those structures replaced in recent years with bottomless culverts.
As barriers were successively removed, monitoring of both PIT tagged chubs and suckers hoped to establish the restoration of movement throughout the ditch system. Vagoferus provided data analysis assistance, extracting movement timing for both species, the extent of passage through the system and establishing the usage of side laterals as refugia during high flow events.
Dolores River Adaptive Monitoring
A tributary of the Colorado River, the Dolores host numerous fish species, many of state concern and many highly migratory. A strong hold for the “Three Species” (Bluehead Sucker, Flannelmouth Sucker, and Roundtail Chub), the basin has been severely impacted by the construction of McPhee Reservoir, altering flow regime, introducing non-natives and affecting sediment loads. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in conjunction with the Dolores River Adaptive Management Support (DRAMS) group have undertaken monitoring the basin through the installation of permeant and movable antenna arrays in the river mainstem and substantial tributaries.
Though in its early stages, Vagoferus will be organizing and analyzing the data for DRAMS as well as assisting in the maintenance of the array network. Stay tuned for more details as the project unfolds.
Explore the discoveries waiting in your data and your rivers
Be it data management or full scale installation, greater information leads to better conservation.