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Sun Country Outdoors (FOR chapter) and New Mexico Bass Nation, funded primarily by a grant through the Friends of Reservoirs Fish Habitat Partnership and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) , in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), is proposing fish habitat restoration activities along approximately 4 miles of Carlsbad Municipal Lake, Bataan Lake and Six-Mile Reservoir located in Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico.. The Proposed Action is based upon the grant proposal originally approved in May 2020 by the Friends of Reservoirs Fish Habitat Partnership.

This Proposed Action is in support of the NMDGF2016 Statewide Fisheries Management Plan (NMDGF 2016) that has gone through extensive public input. The project also supports the Eddy County and Carlsbad economic development plans that have had extensive public input. Based on public input, the project will improve fishing opportunities on Carlsbad lake by:

• installing approximately 300 artificial fish habitat structures
• installing artificial island structures and planting up to one acre of aquatic vegetation below the ordinary high water mark (shoreline)

New Mexico Game and Fish Department has been involved with the project from the start and has provided a letter of support. Warm Water biologists facilitated the bathymetry, habitat selection and siting and GIS mapping. They also did basic research on the water and methods. They will be involved in all phases of the project. The project meets the goals of the New Mexico Fisheries Plan.
One of the unique aspects of the fishery is the winter stocking program for rainbow trout which predictably has had a positive effect on the growth and trophy size of the spotted and largemouth bass population. Habitat selection is being adapted to this unique feeding opportunity for the trophy bass. We believe that the Mossback structures will play an important role in this niche.

The following is a paper written by NMGF about the project:
Carlsbad and Lower Tansill Lake
NNMGF Project Plan and Proposal

New Mexico Game and Fish Department, Warm water Fisheries Team
2021-2023

Background

Carlsbad Municipal Lake and Lower Tansill (Bataan) Lake are two reservoirs located in the Southeast area of the state managed for five different focal sportfish species per the 2016 Statewide Fisheries Management Plan (NMDGF 2016). Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are managed as wild populations that can be benefited by stocking. Spotted Bass Micropters punctulatus are managed as wild populations that can be benefited by stocking. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus are managed as a “Put-Take” fishery in Lower Tansill while Carlsbad Municipal is being evaluated as a “Put-Grow-Take” management. Triploid Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss are managed in both reservoirs, as a “Put and Take” population completely controlled via stocking during the winter months (November – March). Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are managed as wild populations that can be benefited by stocking. Population surveys conducted over the last three decades and recent habitat surveys have identified issues affecting all of the managed sport fish species; a lack of habitat for multiple life stages of sportfish species, baitfish species (juvenile Bluegills, Fathead Minnows Pimephales promelas and Inland Silversides Menidia beryllina), aquatic insects and area to spawn appear to be the primary bottlenecks to the populations not meeting management parameters consistently.

Because reservoirs are man-made artificial lakes, a problem seen throughout the country with sportfish management is the basic lack of natural habitat and complexity of shoreline depths. Two sportfish managed in both of these reservoirs, Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass, have evolved and adapted to spawn and survive in natural lakes that accumulate course woody habitat over long periods of time (Hunt et al. 2002). Annual electroshocking surveys in Carlsbad Municipal Lake, has supplied evidence that recruitment (survival from egg to the adult life stage) of Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass is poor.

Channel Catfish surveys have shown that natural recruitment of Channel Catfish in these reservoirs is also poor. Woody debris and logs have been shown to serve as natural refuge habitat for Channel Catfish fry and juveniles (McMahon and Terrell 1982), this refuge habitat is critical for Channel Catfish recruitment since it is well documented that they are vulnerable to predation by adult Largemouth Bass (Krummrich and Heidinger 1973). Reservoirs generally lack the cavity type habitat that catfish naturally select to lay their eggs in and use to protect the eggs from predators. A lack of woody habitat and cavity type habitat may be why natural recruitment has been low or non-existent in these reservoirs.

Triploid Rainbow Trout are stocked only in the winter months and the Department’s research, as well as literature review, indicates stocked triploid Rainbow Trout do not persist and grow to larger sizes due primarily to predation, a lack of habitat in the deepest sections of the reservoirs and angler harvest (Bettinger and Bettoli 2002, High and Meyer 2009). Adding cover to the deepest and coolest areas of the reservoirs may increase survival and growth of the stocked triploid Rainbow Trout (Quinn and Kwak 2000). Increased survival and growth of the stocked Rainbow Trout would increase angler satisfaction.

The specific deficiencies at each reservoir that may be causing the poor recruitment will be reviewed, but the overall goal of this project is to provide an excellent angling opportunity for quality fish through habitat enhancement.

Project Objectives

The primary goal of this project is to increase habitat quality and quantity in a magnitude enough for the focal species to meet population parameters identified in the Statewide Management Plan. The following habitat objectives have been identified:

• Increase area of woody debris
• Increase spawning habitat for Bass, Bluegill and Catfish
• Increase micro habitat for forage base

Reservoirs and deficiencies

Carlsbad Municipal Lake

Carlsbad Municipal Lake is a 96-acre impoundment located on the Pecos river in Eddy Co., NM. It is unique in that nearly all the water impounded is from springs. All Pecos River water it typically diverted for agricultural use upstream from Carlsbad Municipal Lake. Pecos River water flows through the reservoir during floods and block releases only. The lake is used by swimmers, recreational boaters/watercraft and anglers, a plan for sinking habitat to aid fish populations will take this into account and key areas will be avoided to risk disturbing the other recreational uses at the lake. The addition of structures near certain shorelines will be necessary to aid the survival and growth of fish species, effort will be taken to preserve the aesthetics of the lake for all users. Signs will be placed in areas to aid shoreline anglers in finding the locations of the sunken fish habitat to help them avoid excessive amounts of snagging and loss of gear.

Lower Tansill (Bataan) Lake:

Lower Tansill Lake is a 41-acre impoundment located downstream from Carlsbad Municipal Lake, separated by a dam. The lake is shallower than Carlsbad Municipal Lake and has much less boat traffic (no-wake). In the winter of 2020 dense cover of submerged aquatic vegetation was present in the lake (brittle naiad), but wood cover and habitat was nonexistent. Habitat structures aimed at increasing sportfish recruitment and growth rates will be sunk in key areas. The dense monotypic coverage of brittle naiad may need to be controlled with biological or mechanical methods. Areas heavily fished by trout anglers will contain a minimal amount of snag resistant habitat structures to avoid excessive amount of snagging and loss of gear.

References:

Bettinger, J.M. and P.W. Bettoli. 2002. Fate, Dispersal, and Persistence of Recently Stocked and Resident Rainbow Trout in a Tennessee Tailwater. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 22: 425-432.

High, B. and K.A. Meyer. 2009. Survival and Dispersal of Hatchery Triploid Rainbow Trout in an Idaho River. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29: 1797-1805.

Hunt, J., N. Bacheler, D. Wilson, E. Videan and C.A. Annett. 2002. Enhancing Largemouth Bass Spawning: Behavioral and Habitat Considerations. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 31 (Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation, and Management), Bethesda, Maryland.

Krummrich, J.T. and R.C. Heidinger. 1973. Vulnerability of Channel Catfish to Largemouth Bass Predation. The Progressive Fish Culturist. 35: 173-175.

McMahon, T.E. and J.W. Terrell. 1982. Habitat Suitability index models: Channel Catfish. U.S.D.I. Fish and Wildlife Service. FWS/OBS-82/10.2. 29 pp.

Quinn, J.W. and T.J. Kwak. 2000. Use of Rehabilitated Habitat by Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in an Ozark Tailwater River. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 20: 737-751.

Largemouth bass, Spotted bass, crappie, rainbow trout, bluegil, catfish

On September 11, 2021 in cooperation with the City of Carlsbad, Eddy County and the Carlsbad Bureau of Land Management Office, there is a project kick-off planned in conjunction with Public Lands Day and the 20th year observance of the 9-11 attacks. Sun Country Outdoors will have a booth at that event where the project will be described in presentation format and examples of the fish habitat structures will be on display. The local paper, the Carlsbad Current Argus has requested an interview to publish a story on the project. Sum Country Outdoors and the New Mexico Bass Nation Conservation facebook pageshas been providing information to followers and fit is shared with four other local community facebook pages. BLM and the City of Carlsbad are putting the Sun Country and New Mexico Bass Nation logos on site signs and kiosks.

• NMDGF-letter-of-support-Cochiti-Reservoir-and-Six-Mile-Dam.pdf
• Log-114884-Carlsbad-Lake-Fish-Habitat-Restoration-Project.pdf