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Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tiny endangered pupfish return to this lake east of Phoenix after a year's absence
After more than a year of waiting, Ayer Lake in Superior is once again home to hundreds of tiny endangered desert pupfish. The Arizona Game and Fish Department released 450 pupfish into the lake on March 26, according to a news release. The lake — part of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum — was drained in 2023 for urgent dam repairs. 'The release of the pupfish into Ayer Lake was an experience I will not forget,' said Superior Mayor Mila Besich, who helped net and release some of the fish herself. Arboretum staff had kept the lake's fish population safe in a greenhouse during the repairs, according to Boyce Thompson's Executive Director Kim Gray. 'They have been very happy and have even produced offspring,' Gray said in the release. Success story: Arizona's Apache trout are taken off 'threatened' list after work by tribe, agencies Those fish and their offspring joined others from refuge sites at Robbins Butte Wildlife Area and the Phoenix Zoo during the reintroduction. The reintroduction took place through an agreement among the arboretum, AZGFD, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which outlines a collaborative effort for protecting the fish. Gray called the pupfish's return 'a moment of hope' for the species, which has seen its numbers decline dramatically in the wild over the past century. Desert pupfish are small — usually under three inches long — and hardy. They can survive extreme temperatures, high salinity and low oxygen levels. Despite that resilience, they are listed as endangered in the United States, having vanished from most of their historical range after losing habitat and facing pressures from non-native fish like tilapia and mosquitofish. Today, remnant populations survive in a handful of places in Arizona, California's Salton Sea region, and parts of Sonora, Mexico. In Arizona, a network of carefully managed refuge sites like Ayer Lake helps keep the pupfish going. Brett Montgomery, AZGFD's specialist for topminnow and pupfish species, said Ayer Lake is especially well suited for pupfish because of its stable conditions and isolation from invasive species. AZGFD also plans to reintroduce Gila topminnow, another endangered species, to Ayer Lake once the pupfish have time to adjust. 'It's such a nice habitat where the fish will really have the chance to thrive,' Montgomery said in the release. Pupfish help manage the lake's ecology by feeding on mosquito larvae and aquatic invertebrates, which can help reduce pest populations and control algae growth. Essential environment news: Sign up The Republic's AZ Climate newsletter, delivered to you every Tuesday. The arboretum works to maintain the lake as a suitable habitat for the endangered species. 'The arboretum has abundant wildlife and we actively curate our garden spaces to accommodate the various species that make their home here,' said Gray. To keep that habitat intact, officials urged the public not to move fish in or out of Ayer Lake for any reason. 'Introducing a non-native species to this lake could mean we have to start this entire process over,' Montgomery said. 'It would wipe out years of work.' Austin Corona covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Endangered pupfish swim free again at Boyce Thompson
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Construction set to begin on wildlife crossing over I-17 south of Flagstaff
Wildlife roaming south of Flagstaff will soon have access to safe passage across Interstate 17 as state transportation officials prepare to begin construction of a wildlife crossing over the busy freeway. The project represents an effort to reconnect habitats for animals like deer and elk, while reducing the risk of driver-wildlife collisions. The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will start construction on the 100-ft wide wildlife bridge 12 miles south of Flagstaff in April. The crossing will be covered in native vegetation and designed with a variety of animals in mind, including elk, deer, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, black bears, mountain lions and smaller animals, which can be threatened by habitat fragmentation and collisions caused by highway traffic. The $15.8 million project also includes 8-foot-tall fencing running for more than 8 miles along the highway. The project area accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife between Stoneman Lake Road and Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022, according to an ADOT news release. Along the 32-mile stretch, about 75% of all wildlife collisions involve elk, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Currently, the only safe passage available for elk and deer seeking to cross is a single culvert running underneath the highway. Essential environment and climate news: Sign up for AZ Climate, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday from The Republic and The overpass is made possible through funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program awarded in 2023. The $24 million grant to Arizona was among 19 projects awarded nationally by the federal program in its first round of $110 million funding. Nationally, more than 1 million wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to impact motorists each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Those involving large animals result in approximately 200 fatalities and 2,600 injuries. 'I am grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for supporting Arizona's commitment to protecting its residents, visitors and wildlife,' said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2023. 'Many drivers use I-17 as a gateway to some of Arizona's most popular treasures, including the Grand Canyon. While helping keep those travelers safe, this project will support elk, deer and other wildlife that make Arizona so special.' These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually in loss of income, medical expenses, property damage and other costs, according to the federal agency. Drivers should expect travel times to change as construction progresses on the project. Crews will pave temporary crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, while the overpass is being built. At times when the highway is narrowed to one lane in each direction, drivers should allow for extra travel time on I-17. The project is scheduled to be completed by fall 2026. John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT to start constructing wildlife crossing over I-17 near Flagstaff
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Construction set to begin on wildlife crossing over I-17 south of Flagstaff
Wildlife roaming south of Flagstaff will soon have access to safe passage across Interstate 17 as state transportation officials prepare to begin construction of a wildlife crossing over the busy freeway. The project represents an effort to reconnect habitats for animals like deer and elk, while reducing the risk of driver-wildlife collisions. The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will start construction on the 100-ft wide wildlife bridge 12 miles south of Flagstaff in April. The crossing will be covered in native vegetation and designed with a variety of animals in mind, including elk, deer, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, black bears, mountain lions and smaller animals, which can be threatened by habitat fragmentation and collisions caused by highway traffic. The $15.8 million project also includes 8-foot-tall fencing running for more than 8 miles along the highway. The project area accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife between Stoneman Lake Road and Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022, according to an ADOT news release. Along the 32-mile stretch, about 75% of all wildlife collisions involve elk, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Currently, the only safe passage available for elk and deer seeking to cross is a single culvert running underneath the highway. Essential environment and climate news: Sign up for AZ Climate, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday from The Republic and The overpass is made possible through funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program awarded in 2023. The $24 million grant to Arizona was among 19 projects awarded nationally by the federal program in its first round of $110 million funding. Nationally, more than 1 million wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to impact motorists each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Those involving large animals result in approximately 200 fatalities and 2,600 injuries. 'I am grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for supporting Arizona's commitment to protecting its residents, visitors and wildlife,' said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2023. 'Many drivers use I-17 as a gateway to some of Arizona's most popular treasures, including the Grand Canyon. While helping keep those travelers safe, this project will support elk, deer and other wildlife that make Arizona so special.' These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually in loss of income, medical expenses, property damage and other costs, according to the federal agency. Drivers should expect travel times to change as construction progresses on the project. Crews will pave temporary crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, while the overpass is being built. At times when the highway is narrowed to one lane in each direction, drivers should allow for extra travel time on I-17. The project is scheduled to be completed by fall 2026. John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT to start constructing wildlife crossing over I-17 near Flagstaff
