Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

East Fork Black River (Upper Black River) COA

The East Fork Black River will be managed primarily for self-sustaining native fish populations including loach minnow, roundtail chub, desert sucker, Sonora sucker, and speckled dace. One upstream portion of this management unit contains critical habitat for loach minnow, though they may no longer be present in the East Fork. The secondary management objective is to maintain cold water sport fishing opportunities throughout. These include managing a trophy fishery for brown trout upstream of Diamond Rock Campground and a wild, cold water fishery for brown trout and rainbow trout hybrids from the West Fork confluence upstream to Diamond Rock. High recreation use of the East Fork along FR 276 requires an intensive-use, cold water sport fishery supported by regular stockings of Apache trout from May through September to meet angling demands. If Apache trout are not available, triploid rainbow trout will be substituted.

Watershed

Salt River

Map

Conservation Potential

High

Management Priority

Native Aquatic Species Management (Native Fish-Self-sustaining); Sport Fish Recreation (Sport Fish Cold Water-Intensive Use)

Primary Strategy Species

Fish

Desert Sucker, Loach Minnow, Roundtail Chub, Sonora Sucker, Speckled Dace

Secondary Strategy Species

Fish

Apache Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout