Endangered Species
The southwestern willow flycatcher
is a
federally-endangered species.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) participates in several environmental programs that contribute to species recovery and habitat conservation and protection.
SNWA works with federal, state and local agencies to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act and other applicable environmental laws.
Through compliance and sustainability efforts, SNWA seeks a balance between water resource use and environmental stewardship, including species and habitat conservation and protection.
The species described below are examples of species SNWA monitors, and it is not an exhaustive list.
- Moapa dace
- Moapa speckled dace
- Moapa White River springfish
- Razorback sucker
- Southwestern willow flycatcher
- Vermilion flycatcher
- Virgin River chub
- Western yellow-billed cuckoo
- Yuma clapper rail
Moapa Dace
The Moapa dace (Moapa coriacea) was listed as an endangered species in 1967. This fish only occurs in the warm springs, tributaries, and main stem of the upper Muddy River in eastern Clark County, Nev. Several critical warm springs provide habitat for the dace on the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Warm Springs Natural Area. The dace is a covered species in the Muddy River Recovery Implementation Program. In conjunction with state and federal agencies, SNWA performs a number of recovery actions for the dace including:
- Restoration of aquatic fish habitat
- Eradication or control of invasive species
- Biannual fish counts
- Monitoring the levels of groundwater and the flows of springs and streams
Moapa Speckled Dace
Moapa speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus moapae) populations are known to fluctuate greatly. The Moapa speckled dace averages three inches in length and typically lives for three years. The speckled dace is a close relative of the Moapa dace and has similar habitat requirements but prefers the cooler water temperatures below the Warm Springs area. Because of this thermal barrier, the two species are noncompetitive. Larval speckled dace are primarily plankton feeders, while the adults feed primarily on aquatic insects and algae. Speckled dace prefer the lower horizon of shallow, cobble riffles. They likely face similar threats from deterioration in water quality, introduction of non-native fish, and parasites. The source population of speckled dace resides downstream of the Warm Springs Natural Area below a fish barrier. Restoring a population on the Warm Springs Natural Area will require re-establishing stream habitat connectivity.
Moapa White River Springfish
The Moapa White River spingfish (Crenichthys baileyi moapae) is the most abundant native fish in the upper Muddy River and the Warm Springs Natural Area. Although the White River springfish is endemic to the White River drainage of eastern and southeastern Nevada, this particular subspecies only lives in warm spring pools and warm water spring outflows of the upper Muddy River in eastern Clark County, Nev. This fish tolerates low dissolved oxygen levels and very warm water, which are harmful to most fish. This small fish (1.5 to 2.0 inches long) feeds on algae and aquatic insects. Although currently abundant in its small range, control of invasive species and maintenance of fast flowing, warm water habitat is necessary to keep this fish off of the endangered list.
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
The federally-endangered southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) is a neotropical migrant bird which depends upon riparian forests in the southwest to raise its young. Because the flycatcher's habitat is tied to riparian or riverine corridors, SNWA is interested in how water resource management relates to this endangered species.
SNWA provides funding for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCRMSCP). The Bureau of Reclamation uses monies from this program to fund surveys for the flycatcher in Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, along the lower Virgin and Muddy rivers and elsewhere in the lower Colorado River watershed. Goals of these surveys include locating breeding pairs, gathering demographic information and characterizing occupied habitat. Data collected also helps various local, state and federal agencies characterize the overall health of this species so that sound resource management decisions can be made. SNWA also conducts annual flycatcher surveys in the Las Vegas Wash as part of compliance for the ongoing stabilization program.
Virgin River Chub
The Virgin River chub (Gila seminuda) is a fish found in the Virgin and Muddy Rivers. The population in the Virgin River is federally endangered and the Muddy River population may be listed in the future. This 8 to 10-inch long fish likes deep pools and swift water. It feeds on insects and algae. Actions to recover the Virgin River chub include the elimination and control of exotic fish and the restoration of streamside habitat. SNWA funds Virgin River chub monitoring on the Virgin and Muddy rivers and participates in inter-agency recover team efforts with local, state and federal agencies.
Razorback Sucker
The razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) is a native fish unique to the Colorado River Basin. In the early 1900s, the razorback sucker was abundant in the Colorado River and its major tributaries, but after non-native species were introduced and dams were constructed in the basin, its number decreased rapidly. Today, the razorback sucker exists mostly in small populations scattered across the Colorado River Basin.
In an effort to protect the razorback sucker from extinction, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed this species as endangered in 1991 and designated critical habitat for it in 1994, a portion of which is at Lake Mead. In addition, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCRMSCP) was initiated in 1994 by the states of Arizona, California, Nevada and federal agencies in a cooperative effort to aid in the recovery of the razorback sucker and other species.
Yuma Clapper Rail
The Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis) is a federally endangered bird species found mainly in the lower Colorado River watershed. Its primary habitat includes wetlands dominated by emergent vegetation such as cattails and bulrush. The Yuma clapper rail is a Muddy River Recovery Implementation Program (MRRIP) species that occurs in the Overton Wildlife Management Area. SNWA is a participant in the MRRIP to help ensure environmental compliance with the Endangered Species Act along the Muddy River. In addition, SNWA performs annual surveys for the clapper rail on the Las Vegas Wash as a part of environmental compliance for the stabilization program.
Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
The western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) is a medium-sized, slender and inconspicuous bird that lives in dense riparian habits along waterways. It feeds on large insects such as cicadas and grasshoppers. This bird is nomadic, and its numbers fluctuate dramatically from year to year as the birds seek large insect prey. In Southern Nevada, yellow-billed cuckoos are found most years on the Virgin and Muddy rivers as well as the Pahranagat Valley, Meadow Valley Wash, and Las Vegas Wash. SNWA manages riparian woodlands and is planting native cottonwood trees at the Warm Springs Natural Area for cuckoo nesting sites.
Vermilion Flycatcher
The vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) is a small flycatcher. Males are a spectacular scarlet red and brown, while females are gray with a peach belly. Although common from Argentina to the southwestern United States, they are somewhat uncommon in Nevada, and the largest breeding population in Nevada is at the Warm Springs Natural Area. Maintaining open groves of mesquite woodlands will provide continued nesting sites and insect foraging areas for this colorful bird.
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