Green Sucker Pond Feeders
|
Project ID: 6908
Status: Cancelled
Fiscal Year: 2025
Submitted By:
N/A
|
Project Manager: Chante Lundskog
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Northern Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northern
|
|
Description:
Green Suckers are being raised in grow out ponds in West Box Elder County. Other state agencies have had success raising green/bluehead suckers in ponds (outside of traditional hatchery systems); however, these ponds are artificially fed with feeders. After reviewing our current operation in West Box Elder County, it was determined that these grow-out facilities need to be supplemented by feeders.
|
|
|
Location:
Rosebud pond facilities, West Box Elder County, Utah
|
|
Project Need
Need For Project:
Western state agencies have begun to successfully rear and grow green/bluehead suckers in ponds that mimic natural systems. A key aspect that has enabled the success of these operations is that the ponds are artificially supplemented with food by pond feeders.
Green suckers are experiencing a significant decline in their population numbers and distribution throughout their range in Utah. In 2015, the plans to begin developing a hatchery brood program were conceived and by 2017 the first streamside spawn occurred and continued until 2020. In 2023, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources transferred 500 green suckers into a grow-out facility in West Box Elder County. The ability to stock and grow these fish outside of the hatchery system was a huge milestone for the UDWR. The facility in West Box Elder County has been used to grow June sucker and serve as an additional refuge site for least chub, thus UDWR is hopeful to mimic that success again with green suckers. However, after consulting with other state agencies about their brood programs it was determined that supplementation is required for these fish to grow successfully. With the purchase of a pond feeder, the UDWR is confident it can grow green suckers to a stockable size that will be successful upon transfer into the Weber River.
Objectives:
Feed an important facility that is currently growing out green suckers.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
This is the first time since the inception of the brood program that fish are available to transfer and grow out.
Relation To Management Plan:
3-Species Conservation Agreement and Strategy, Conservation Actions - enhance and maintain habitat for roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, and flannelmouth sucker.
Utah Wildlife Action Plan - identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need; mitigating threats, data gaps, and conservation actions
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
N/A
Compliance:
N/A
Methods:
The feeder will run automatically and feed the fish one to two times a day or as prescribed.
Monitoring:
The fish will be evaluated in the spring and fall using trap nets. If the supplementation is successful, managers should be able to observe an increase in fish length/weight, as well as, overall condition.
Partners:
Private landowner who owns the ponds.
Future Management:
This will enable the UDWR to be able to stock these fish at larger sizes and in better condition which should ideally increase these fishes overall survival after stocking.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
Use of this equipment contributes to conservation needs and actions of green suckers.
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Purchase | Pond feeder | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2025 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species Protection Account | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2025 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehead Sucker | N4 | |||||
|
||||||
Habitats
| Habitat |
|---|
Project Comments
| Comment | 01/24/2024 | Type: 1 | Commenter: Paul Thompson |
| Chante - this proposal indicates that 500 Green sucker were stocked into Rosebud in 2023 and that a fish feeder is needed to maintain and grow these fish. Is this something that we should try and get into place this spring (FY24)? If so, I can evaluate the ESMF budget to look for $2,500. Is that just for the feeder or does it include the feed for a period of time? | |||
| Comment | 01/26/2024 | Type: 1 | Commenter: Chante Lundskog |
| This is tentative, but I will likely be able to use CE for this purchase. | |||
Completion
Start Date:
End Date:
FY Implemented:
Final Methods:
Project Narrative:
Future Management:
Map Features
N/A
Project Map
N/A