Columnist Paul DelGiudice: Illegal fish, frogs found

Paul DelGiudice

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001 | 9:41 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears weekly. Reach her at desertdenizens@aol.com.

Years of work by biologists to keep a native frog off the endangered species list and help the recovery of a threatened fish has been severely compromised by someone who put game fish and bullfrogs into ponds in Boulder City, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Jim Heinrich, NDOW biologist, said a recent survey found smallmouth bass, a flathead catfish, goldfish, black crappie and bullfrogs in the wetlands.

The wetlands were developed four years ago by Boulder City and are located near the Boulder City airport.

"It appears that someone has been trying to develop his own fishery," Heinrich said. "The variety of fish indicates it was a fisherman who went out of his way to bring them in."

NDOW and Bureau of Reclamation biologists, along with Boulder City, have done extensive work during the past four years to provide a habitat for native aquatic species. Razorback suckers, a fish native to the Colorado River system, and relict leopard frogs, also native to the Colorado River system, were put into the Boulder City wetlands by biologists.

"Those wetlands are there for a purpose -- to avoid listings. We have developed a whole plan for the area," Heinrich said. "The costs of eliminating the illegally introduced species and restoring the wetlands could be substantial."

Heinrich is particularly concerned about the bullfrogs and the extreme difficulty in eliminating them from the wetlands. Bullfrogs, which prey upon the relict frogs and small fish, are nearly impossible to eradicate once they become established.

A public fishing pond is being built in Boulder City as a cooperative effort by the city and NDOW. When completed, trout and other game fish will be stocked on an ongoing basis by NDOW for public fishing.

"People who transport and illegally stock fish and other aquatic life are selfish and irresponsible," Heinrich said. "Their reckless acts pose a serious threat to our fisheries and over the years have cost Nevada taxpayers enormous sums of money."

The NDOW is seeking information about who made the illegal introductions in Boulder City. Information can be reported to any NDOW office or Operation Game Thief at (800) 992-3030. All calls are confidential and cash rewards will be paid upon conviction.

Citing security reasons, the commander of the Hawthorne Army Depot (HAWAD) has closed the Mount Grant area in Hunt Unit 202 to all hunting and fishing until further notice. The closure went into effect on Oct. 4 with an announcement that stated, "Due to the current force protection considerations, the commander, Lietuenant Colonel Anne Davis, has closed the depot to all hunting, fishing and sightseeing."

The Mount Grant area in Mineral County is closed to deer, bighorn sheep, chukar and quail hunting.

Information on the closure may be obtained by calling the Hawthorne Army Depot at (775) 945-7001.