Wall Canyon Sucker

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This is a Notice of Intent to Award to Nevada Department of Wildlife. Wall Canyon Sucker Population Dynamics, Habitat Analysis and Crayfish Removal: The Wall Canyon Sucker is an undescribed catostomid endemic to the Wall Canyon drainage in Washoe County, Nevada (Markle and Harris 1996). Wall Canyon suckers were abundant throughout the drainage until the 1990s when invasion of nonnative brown trout and signal crayfish severely reduced their population size and extent of occupied habitat. Brown trout were chemically eradicated from 5.1 miles of Wall Canyon Creek in July 2009; however, Wall Canyon suckers currently occupy less than 0.75 miles of habitat in Wall Canyon Creek and are thought to be currently limited by high densities of signal crayfish. This project will utilize crayfish removal and intensive habitat and fish population surveys to provide information on habitat conditions that favor Wall Canyon suckers and limit crayfish population densities. These results can then be applied to future habitat manipulation and enhancement projects to provide suitable conditions for the Wall Canyon sucker and other native fish species.

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