Wet Bottom Creek | Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Wet Bottom Creek COA

Wet Bottom Creek is a high priority management unit since it has more than two miles of perennial flow with a healthy native fish and riparian herpetofauna community, including a robust population of roundtail chub of multiple size classes. Installation of a fish barrier is strongly recommended as soon as possible. Green sunfish and smallmouth bass were present in the downstream portion of the perennial reach dominated by natives in 2012, and potentially will be able to progressively move upstream without construction of a barrier. As of September 2012, the most upstream sunfish and bass were in a pool below a small fall. GPS locations indicate that green sunfish and smallmouth bass may have progressed a third of a mile upstream between April – September 2012. The current healthy native fish and riparian herpetofauna populations and potential habitat suggest that potentially either northern Mexican or narrow-headed gartersnakes might exist in Wet Bottom, or that the creek could be a potential reintroduction location. Accessing Wet Bottom Creek within the Mazatzal Wilderness is difficult, requiring a multi-day river or backpack trip, or helicopter access. A helipad exists at the SRP gauge, which is near the potential fish barrier construction site. If a barrier was constructed near the helipad and gauge, non-native fish removal may need to occur above the barrier since the non-native fish species currently occur a short distance upstream of that site.

Wet Bottom Creek COA

Watershed

Map

Conservation Potential

Management Priority

Primary Strategy Species

Fish

Amphibians

Secondary Strategy Species