Created 28-Apr-17
Modified 28-Apr-17
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This is the second set of photos during high flows in the Rio Grande taken at the Valle de Ora National Wildlife Refuge south of Albuquerque. The first photo is again of an excavated pond west of the most SW parking area on the refuge. Next, at the end of trail starting near the NW edge of this pond is the Rio Grande and the start at the north end of a high flow channel excavated along the east edge of the river. The next three photos show the start of this channel. Rio Grande flow during this visit was about 4000 cfs. At this flow, unlike what I saw and photographed last June, at this time the high-flow channel provides relatively fewer area of very quiet water for spawning, resting, and grow-up habitat for any fish species seeking or needing such habitat to recruit young fish into their populations. There was observable and sometimes strong current at most locations along the high-flow channel. Again, the photos of the flooded channel are intended to show the general condition of this channel habitat and its connections to the river that may be compared to past and future visits and those conditions. Several photos also show larval fish. Based on photos taken during my next visit nearly a week later and from comments received after emailing of some of these photos, I believe that most or all of these larval fish are Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) that were observed primarily between and busting out from the grass clumps near the north opening of the channel to the river. Note, these photos may be downloaded for your use, but please provide credit.

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Keywords:Albuquerque, New_Mexico, Rio_Grande, Valle_de_Oro, fish, grow-up, habitat, high-flow_side_channel, resting, spawning

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