Population size, mobility, and early life history of Razorback Suckers in the San Juan River | BOR UC 17 N003

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 17 N003

The grant opportunity titled "Population size, mobility, and early life history of Razorback Suckers in the San Juan River" (Funding Opportunity Number BOR UC 17 N003) is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary grant under CFDA 15.517 focused on endangered fish recovery and river-reservoir ecology in the San Juan River Basin. It sits within the broader San Juan Recovery Implementation Program (SJRIP), a long-running multi-agency effort launched in October 1992 to protect and recover four federally listed endangered fishes: Colorado Pikeminnow, Razorback Sucker, Humpback Chub, and Bonytail. The underlying purpose is to generate actionable science that helps ensure management actions in the basin do not jeopardize the continued existence of these species, especially as water operations and habitat conditions change over time.

The core biological focus of this specific project is the Razorback Sucker, with an emphasis on three linked questions: how many fish are present (population size/status), how they move through the system (mobility and seasonal habitat use), and what is happening during the earliest stages of life (early life history and potential natural recruitment). The opportunity is grounded in the idea that the San Juan River includes a connected river-reservoir habitat complex where natural recruitment may be possible, meaning young fish could be produced and survive without relying entirely on hatchery supplementation. A key motivation highlighted in the description is the observed high abundance of fish below Piute Farms Waterfall. Because waterfalls and similar features can function as partial or complete movement barriers, the proposal aims to clarify what role the downstream reservoir and associated habitats play for Razorback Suckers that occur below that feature in the lower San Juan River.

The work proposed is framed as management-relevant monitoring and research. First, investigators are expected to establish the current status of native fish populations in the area below the waterfall, which implies field sampling capable of describing presence, abundance, and potentially size/age structure or other indicators of population condition. Second, the project emphasizes collecting and analyzing fish movement data to quantify seasonal use across both the river and lake portions of the system. In practice, this kind of objective often involves tagging and tracking (for example, telemetry or mark-recapture approaches), paired with regular surveys that reveal when and how fish transition among habitats. This seasonal perspective matters because spawning, feeding, overwintering, and nursery use can each depend on different habitat types, and because river flows and reservoir conditions can vary dramatically across seasons.

A major applied question embedded in the opportunity is whether seasonal access from below the waterfall into upstream river reaches could help bolster mainstem populations of native fishes. In other words, if fish are concentrated in downstream habitats at certain times, improving or maintaining connectivity to upstream habitats during critical periods could potentially increase survival or reproduction and thereby support recovery goals. At the same time, the grant calls for evaluation of barriers to fish movement within the basin, which includes but is not limited to Piute Farms Waterfall. This barrier assessment is important because recovery of long-lived river fishes often depends on maintaining corridors between spawning areas, rearing habitats, and adult refuges. Understanding where movement is blocked, seasonally constrained, or selectively passable can directly shape decisions about infrastructure, habitat restoration, and flow management.

The opportunity also explicitly ties the expected study outputs to water management decision-making. Because the Bureau of Reclamation and partners influence reservoir operations, releases, and other actions that affect habitat availability and connectivity, the project is intended to produce "critical information" that managers can use to adjust operations in ways that better support endangered fish life cycles. By identifying population status, mapping seasonal habitat use, and clarifying how barriers influence movement, the study results can inform practical questions such as when certain habitats need to be inundated or connected, how flow timing might influence spawning and larval drift, and whether structural or operational changes could improve passage or reduce ecological bottlenecks.

Administratively, the grant was offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, with eligibility limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, signaling an emphasis on university-led research capacity. The posting lists an award ceiling of $180,902 with one expected award, indicating a single, moderately sized project rather than a large multi-project portfolio. The opportunity was created on February 13, 2017, with an original closing date of February 27, 2017, reflecting a short application window typical of some targeted research solicitations tied to specific management needs and field seasons. Overall, the grant is best understood as a focused effort to fill key knowledge gaps about Razorback Sucker population dynamics and habitat connectivity in a critical portion of the San Juan River system, with the explicit goal of translating those findings into better recovery and water-management outcomes under the SJRIP.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Population size, mobility, and early life history of Razorback Suckers in the San Juan River" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 13, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 27, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $180,902.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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