The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has finalized its assessment of a plan aimed at aiding the humpback chub and other protected fish in northern Arizona, enabling the use of cold water from the Glen Canyon Dam to counteract a warm water-adaptable invasive bass species that poses a threat to the native fish population. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the conclusion of the environmental review paves the way to utilize cooler water sourced from Lake Powell to disrupt the breeding of the non-native smallmouth bass and prevent its establishment below the dam in the Grand Canyon, where it preys on federally safeguarded native fish such as the humpback chub.
This development marks the newest tactic in the ongoing effort to fend off non-native smallmouth bass and green sunfish in the Colorado River region below the Glen Canyon Dam. Due to diminishing water levels and the consequent rise in water temperatures released from the Glen Canyon Dam, the predatory fish have managed to migrate downstream from Lake Powell.
Previous attempts to eliminate the invasive fish from the area have involved the application of a chemical treatment that proves fatal to fish but has received approval from federal environmental authorities.
The Bureau of Reclamation, situated under the U.S. Department of the Interior, serves as a principal provider of the nation’s water on a wholesale basis and plays a role in its hydroelectric power generation.
