Home

Target Species: Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Flathead Catfish, and Channel Catfish
Project Objectives
- Increase structural habitat, by approximately 40 acres between Saguaro and Canyon Lake in the Salt River Watershed.
- To increase primary productivity by increasing surface area for periphyton growth and production.
- Increase spawning of sportfish by building and installing 100 wood spawning beds filled with pea gravel and 100 catfish boxes.
-Increase angler satisfaction by building and installing 800 Georgia Cube structures to congregate sportfish between 20 sites at Canyon and Saguaro Lake.
- Increase angler success by giving them the install site location map.
- Improve structural habitat and nursery habitat to allow sportfish the opportunity to out compete gizzard shad.

• Limited littoral structure
• Nuisance species

• Largemouth Bass
• Rainbow Trout
• Channel Catfish
• Flathead Catfish
• Walleye
• Black Crappie
• Bluegill
• Redear Sunfish

Saguaro Lake
Saguaro Lake provides an estimated 288,179 angler use days per year, the fourth highest angler use days in the state of Arizona (Fisheries Branch 2015). Fedler (2014) analyzed the economic impact of angling in Arizona and Roosevelt Lake had a direct annual expenditure slightly under 60 million and a multiplier effect of approximately 75 million. Saguaro Lake also supports nearly 15 million in salaries and wages (Felder 2014). The lake is 1,264 surface acres at full pool and is one of the top bass fishing lakes in Arizona. Currently the lake is 92% full and has 1,188 surface acres. Saguaro Lake is mesotrophic lake over 88 years old and currently lacks physical structural habitat for sport fish and their forage. Saguaro Lake typically experiences small fluctuations in water level over time and has fluctuated around 4-5 feet consistently per year. Degradation of habitat has led to reduction in habitat quality and increased competition for food, which contributed to declines in relative weights and angler catch rates. Electrofishing surveys in 2013 and 2016 indicated a declining population of Largemouth Bass, as well as dwindling Bluegill populations. Catch per unit effort(CPUE) for Largemouth Bass has decreased from 64.0 fish per hour in 2013 to 51.7 fish per hour in 2016. Bluegill CPUE has decreased from 90.0 fish per hour in 2013 to 69.8 fish per hour in 2016.
Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) has conducted outreach to the community surrounding Saguaro Lake and held multiple Angler Roundtable meetings to update the community and anglers about the state of their reservoir and AGFD’s progress of fish stocking and the proposed Saguaro Lake Habitat Enhancement Plan. These meetings will continue to educate the public about fish habitat and the progress of the AGFD habitat project at the lake. Furthermore, angler groups, boy scout groups, college students are essential to building the habitat structures. AGFD holds between 10 and 20 volunteer days to build fish habitat, which is a great venue to talk to anglers about healthy reservoirs and how they can get involved.
Project Goals
To increase fish cover/protection, and/or congregating/fish attractor habitat by approximately 40 acres. 20 acres at Canyon Lake and 20 acres at Saguaro Lake
• To increase primary productivity by increasing surface area for periphyton growth and production.
• Contribute to the maintenance of angler satisfaction at or above 80% as identified in the Saguaro and Canyon Lake Fisheries Management Plan 2020-2030.
• Congregate Largemouth Bass near structural habitat and contribute to angler catch rates that exceed the Lake Management Plan goals of 0.25 fish per hour.
The desired condition is for the lake to provide the necessary physical structural needs of the fish community for all relevant life stages, which will, in turn, improve angler catch rates and provide the public with a higher-quality sport fishing opportunity. AGFD with the help of MBA plans to improve 40 acres with artificial habitat (Georgia cubes-400, Wood spawning beds-50 and Catfish spawning boxes-50 resulting in 475 structures. We also plan on installing roughly 500 donated Christmas trees in early January. The target species for the project in order of priority are Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Walleye, Crappie, and Bluegill.

Canyon Lake
Canyon Lake is located on the Tonto National Forest 51 miles east of Phoenix along the Apache Trail. It has a surface area of 950 acres at full pool at an elevation of 1,660 feet. At full pool, the impoundment is 10 miles long and the shoreline extends 28 miles. The lake was formed in 1925 as a result of the construction of Mormon Flat Dam on the Salt River. The reservoir is the third and smallest reservoir in a chain of four hydropower/irrigation storage reservoirs which are impounded on the Salt River. Water level fluctuations rarely exceed an average of 8 vertical feet annually and 3-4 feet daily depending on hydropower pump-back storage operations.

Canyon Lake
Canyon Lake is located on the Tonto National Forest 51 miles east of Phoenix along the Apache Trail. It has a surface area of 950 acres at full pool at an elevation of 1,660 feet. At full pool, the impoundment is 10 miles long and the shoreline extends 28 miles. The lake was formed in 1925 as a result of the construction of Mormon Flat Dam on the Salt River. The reservoir is the third and smallest reservoir in a chain of four hydropower/irrigation storage reservoirs which are impounded on the Salt River. Water level fluctuations rarely exceed an average of 8 vertical feet annually and 3-4 feet daily depending on hydropower pump-back storage operations.
The land surrounding Canyon Lake is managed by the Tonto National Forest and the aquatic species within the lake are managed under the authority of the Arizona Game and Fish Department (Department). Currently, there is a Canyon Lake Management Plan used to guide fisheries management at the lake and describes past habitat enhancement projects. The objectives of this habitat enhancement project are:

• To increase fish cover/protection, and/or congregating/fish attractor habitat by approximately 40 acres.
20 acres at Canyon lake and 20 acres at Saguaro Lake
• To increase primary productivity by increasing surface area for periphyton growth and production.
• Contribute to the maintenance of angler satisfaction at or above 80% as identified in the Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake Fisheries Management Plan 2020-2030.
• Congregate Largemouth Bass near structural habitat and contribute to angler catch rates that exceed the Lake Management Plan goals of 0.25 fish per hour.
The desired condition is for the lake to provide the necessary physical structural needs of the fish community for all relevant life stages, which will, in turn, improve angler catch rates and provide the public with a higher-quality sport fishing opportunity. AGFD with the help of MBA plans to improve 40 acres with artificial habitat (Georgia cubes-400, Wood spawning beds-50 and Catfish spawning boxes-50 resulting in 475 structures. We also plan on installing roughly 500 donated Christmas trees in early January. The target species for the project in order of priority are Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Walleye, Crappie, and Bluegill.

The project is a cooperative effort between angler groups, Tonto National Forest (TNF), the Department, boy scout groups , college students and others. A variety of habitat structures will be placed in Canyon Lake to improve angler success and satisfaction for Largemouth Bass, along with improving catch rates for multiple sportfish species utilizing the structures. Four enhancement structures are currently proposed; Georgia cubes, donated Christmas Trees, wood spawning beds catfish spawning boxes. Jones et al. (2014) provides a list of additional structures that may be used on a situation-by-situation basis. Man-made structures will utilize donated material and volunteer hours to construct to the maximum extent available. Materials and/or structures may also be purchased using Dingell-Johnson Sportfish Restoration Act funds and any other grants that become available. Twenty locations were identified across both Lakes using the Hummingbird Helix 7 side scan sonar unit that comprise 40 acres of lake bottom and are proposed for enhancement in 2021-2022. Future habitat enhancement efforts will be undertaken in response to lessons learned, lake levels, and through adaptive management.

We plan on gathering the materials (Georgia Cubes, donated Christmas trees, wood spawning beds and catfish spawning boxes and including angling groups, boyscout groups, youth fishing clubs, and the general public in building the structures on weekends. Installation will take place during the build days giving numerous volunteers the opportunity to come sink habitat off of our large Habitat Program pontoon boat. Depending on funding, we plan on improving roughly 20 acres of habitat for sportfish at both Canyon lake and Saguaro Lake. This would include roughly 400 Georgia cubes at each lake and a large amount of Christmas tree's donated after Christmas. We plan on gathering donated urban timber and milling it in house to provide lumber for all the wood spawning beds and catfish spawning boxes. We plan on building 100 of each structure out of urban wood.
The Aquatic Habitat Program plans on using the Sound Metrics ARIS Sonar unit to evaluate size classes and fish abundance on each habitat site quarterly. This will allow us to learn which type of structure is most effective for future habitat installs. It will also allow us to see structure use during the course of a full year. The program will also plan dives when water clarity is sufficient for viewing the habitat structures. We plan on diving on the structures twice a year. This will allow us to see species diversity on our structures and estimate size classes utilizing the structures. Creel Surveys will also be used to determine if angler satisfaction and angler catch rates are meeting our outlined goals.

Project Goals - • To increase fish cover/protection, and/or congregating/fish attractor habitat by approximately 20 acres at both Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake
• To increase primary productivity by increasing surface area for periphyton growth and production.
• Contribute to the maintenance of angler satisfaction at or above 80% as identified in the Canyon Lake Fisheries Management Plan 2020-2030.
• Congregate Largemouth Bass near structural habitat and contribute to angler catch rates that exceed the Lake Management Plan goals of 0.25 fish per hour
We wills also conduct habitat structure dives to verify species diversity utilizing the structures. Size classes will also be determined during the dives. We plan on doing these dives twice a year and as time permits.

Monitoring Parameters - Angler Satisfaction at or above 80% , Angler catch rate at or above 0.25 fish per hour.
Monitoring Methods - Creel surveys every 5 years to access project goals. We recently conducted creel surveys within the past 2 years, our next creel at Canyon Lake will be scheduled within 3 years. This will allow us to have baseline data before our habitat is installed. Then we can follow it up with another creel survey post habitat installment.

We include many different groups to be involved with our projects. Angling groups, boyscout groups, youth angling groups, college students and general public. Months in advance of our scheduled build days we release social media announcements allowing anglers time to come out and help build and install. We have had great turnout in the past with 250+ hours of volunteer labor with all age groups. The Aquatic Habitat Program commits to giving presentations about the project at numerous venues attempting to get public involvement in the project. We also reach out to numerous cities located near the lake to donate unwanted Christmas trees so they don't end up in the landfill. After the project is complete the habitat sites are mapped and put online for free to allow anglers the opportunity to fish the structures and have better success. The Aquatic Habitat Program also presents at numerous venues about the project to the public to continue to give information to folks that would like to help out on the next project. Throughout the project we also make numerous social media posts informing the public what is going on at there local lake.

• To increase fish cover/protection, and/or congregating/fish attractor habitat by approximately 40 acres
• Contribute to the maintenance of angler satisfaction at or above 80% as identified in the Canyon Lake Fisheries Management Plan 2020-2030.
• Congregate Largemouth Bass near structural habitat and contribute to angler catch rates that exceed the Lake Management Plan goals of 0.25 fish per hour.
• Build and install 400 Georgia Cubes at each lake for a total of 800 Georgia cubes.
• Build and install 100 wood spawning beds with pea gravel between both lakes
• Build and install 100 wood catfish spawning boxes between both lakes
• Increase angler catch rates for channel catfish, rainbow trout, crappie, and sunfish.

Arizona Game and Fish Department - The Aquatic Habitat Program conducted all the compliance work to be able to implement the project. Sites were then selected with the Regional Reservoir Fish Biologist using side scan sonar. Both Regional Staff along with Habitat Program personnel will be involved in the building and installation of Habitat. Attached is the Reservoir Management Plan for both Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake

• Tonto-NF-Special-Use-Permit-Fully-executed-with-App-B-only.pdf
• WSFR-Approval-Tonto-NF-Fish-Habitat.pdf
• Saguaro-Lake-Management-Plan-2020-2030.docx
• Canyon-Lake-Fisheries-Management-Plan-2020-2030.docx

Estimated Cost Description

Boat Maintenance and gas $ 1,500 any boat repairs/maintenance, gas, marina storage fee's
Georgia Cubes $ $40,000 (Grant Funding) $40,000 (State Funding) - 800 Georgia Cube Structures (PVC, corrugated pipe, PVC elbows, cinderblocks)

Christmas Tree’s $1,500 - Donated material (Cinder Blocks and Rope)
$22,000 (In-kind labor from partners, donated wood materials) - This would include all materials needed to construct 100 wood spawning beds with pea gravel and 100 catfish spawning boxes.

Total $ 105,000 All Estimated Costs

The $40,000 grant would be used to purchase materials for 400 Georgia Cubes. Material would be PVC, Corrugated pipe, PVC elbows and PVC glue. We expect to start this project this fall 2021 and continue over the next 2 years. The state funding would be used first to purchase materials for this fall. Then the grant funding would be used to purchase the next round of materials for the following year once it became available. We expect to have the project complete by early 2023.