Additional efforts include constructing barriers to prevent upstream migration of nonnative species, translocating native fish populations into suitable habitat, restoring fish passage fish passageįish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. Our recovery efforts include renovating streams and other aquatic habitats inhabited by nonnative aquatic species such as Brown Trout, Flathead Catfish, Green Sunfish, New Zealand Mudsnail, Giant Salvinia and other species that out-compete and alter habitat for native fish. Other southwestern native aquatic species that we work with include Loach Minnow, Gila Topminnow, Gila Trout, Desert Pupfish, Northern Mexico Gartersnakes, Colorado Pikeminnow, Desert Sucker, Sonora Sucker, Flannelmouth Sucker and Bluehead Sucker. Our Parker office is co-located at Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge and primarily focuses on the lower Colorado River below Hoover Dam and the recovery of Razorback Sucker and Bonytail Chub. Our Whiteriver office, co-located at Alchesay National Fish Hatchery, primarily focuses on Apache Trout recovery and habitat restoration through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The primary focus of our Flagstaff office is the conservation and recovery of native fish, such as the Humpback Chub, in the Little Colorado River and the Grand Canyon reach of the mainstem Colorado River. Our field stations conduct scientific study and manage native fish populations while mitigating effects of non-native species, provide technical assistance to tribes, work with conservation agencies and private landowners to restore habitat through the National Fish Passage Program and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, and collaborate with partners to conserve migratory fishes that cross multiple jurisdictions.Įach of our stations has its own species and mission focus.
The conservation of native fish species and their habitat is a top priority for the AZFWCO. AZFWCO'S mission is to “work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and other aquatic organisms and their habitats in Arizona.” Our daily activities are driven by three primary focus areas or goals and include Aquatic Species Conservation and Management, Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management, and Cooperation with Native American Tribes. Integral to our work are the relationships we have with our partners – other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal governments, non-profits and private landowners all play a role in helping us to achieve conservation objectives. A satellite office was established in 1991 in Flagstaff, Ariz. Together, our mission is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhanceįish and other aquatic organisms and their habitat in Arizona and the Southwest.ĪZFWCO is part of a network of field stations located throughout the nation that works on behalf of the American people to conserve fish and aquatic resources. In 1962, the Parker Fishery Assistance Office was established in western Arizona and the two offices were later merged to form AZFWCO. Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office – formerly the Pinetop Fishery Assistance Office – was established in 1956 in Springerville, Ariz., moving to Pinetop, Ariz., in the early 1960s.
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