A shock of cold water could help control exotic fish in Grand Canyon

A shock of cold water could help control exotic fish in Grand Canyon

Source: Arizona Public Radio

10/14/2022

Credit: USFWS

The Grand Canyon is a haven for native fish. But that’s now threatened by smallmouth bass, an exotic fish that eats native species and has recently escaped through Glen Canyon Dam. Scientists say a shock of cold water released through the dam might help keep their numbers down. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with fish biologist Drew Eppehimer about the tradeoffs involved.

Tell me why smallmouth bass are becoming a problem.

So if we look to the Upper Basin, so parts of the river in Colorado and Utah, smallmouth bass have been a problem for years. They’ve been stocked throughout West as a recreational fishery, and they’re a ton of fun to catch, but they often have detrimental consequences for native fish and native ecosystems…. but historically the section of the Colorado River between Lake Powell and Lake Mead has been insulated from that. Because Glen Canyon Dam served as a barrier.