Winter Dace Count Performed At Warm Springs

By NICK YAMASHITA

The Progress

The endangered Moapa dace was found to be healthy and in good numbers last week as a team of biologists conducted the biannual Moapa dace census in the Warm Springs headwaters of the Muddy River. The semiannual count had its February event on February 23-24.

Teaming up for the census were biologists from the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). The scientists methodically snorkelled ever reach of the streams, over six miles worth, in the Warm Springs Natural Area, the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Recreation Area.

They teamed up into pairs, with one scientist snorkeling in the stream and calling out what was observed and another standing on the bank writing down the numbers. They spent the two days diligently tallying up every Moapa dace they could see in the stream.
In the end, a total of 2,033 Moapa dace were counted.

“That is a 52% increase from a year ago and it is the highest February count since 1994,” said SNWA biologist David Syzdek.

Syzdek, who coordinates the Moapa dace count, said that the high count is the result of habitat restoration and translocation of fish in the stream reaches.

“We counted over 1,000 Moapa dace in the Apcar Stream which has had extensive restoration work over the last 12 years,” Syzdek said.

That restoration has included narrowing the stream and installing alternating areas of fast-flowing and slow-flowing water. This helps give places for dace to feed and provide better habitat conditions, Syzdek said.

In addition, scientists had moved 88 dace into the South Fork of the Muddy River in January of 2019. “Those fish are doing great,” Syzdek said. “There were 268 fish there now which means they are successfully breeding.”

That is good news for the Moapa dace, which has been on the Federal Endangered Species list since 1973.

The other species of native fish counted in the census is the Moapa White River Springfish.
“This species was found to be fairly abundant and are only in the thermal waters in the Warm Springs area,” reported Syzdek.

The Moapa White River Springfish is a subspecies of the White River Springfish (Crenichthys baileyi baileyi) out of the White River system in Eastern Nevada, mainly around Alamo and Hiko regions. The adults average in size about 1.2 inches in length.

The Moapa Dace (Moapa coriacea) in 1996 was listed as Critically Endangered by the USFW. A huge part of that was due to a fire that occurred at the Moapa National Wildlife Refuge in June of 1994. This fire caused a massive decline in the Moapa dace population.

“Major threats to both species included excessive water development, exotic fish species, wildfire, and habitat loss,” said Syzdek.

These annual counts began in 1985 but were irregularly conducted until SNWA acquired the 1,220-acre Warm Springs Natural Area in 2007. Biannual surveys began in 2008, with a second count added in August.

Visitors can view Moapa dace habitat at Warm Springs Natural Area every day except Mondays and at a fish viewing window at the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge on weekends. Both sites also have trails and other amenities for visitors.

For more information visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/moapa_valley/ or https://warmspringsnv.org/.