Developing a Management Plan for Invasive Common Carp in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a Key Stopover for Waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway and Unique High Desert Ecosystem

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon was founded in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt to ‘preserve and breeding ground for native birds.’  Its location and diverse set of shallow-water habitats in the high desert allowed this 200,000 acre wetland complex and to serve as a critical stop in the Pacific Flyway for over 300 species of bids.  Unfortunately, in the 1950s the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was introduced with disastrous consequences; in the absence of predators its numbers exploded and it decimated native submerged plant communities and waterfowl numbers fell to 10-20% of their historic values.  The situation has not improved in spite of many poisoning attempts.  Recently, the Refuge, along with several collaborators, have embarked on a mission to develop a long-term strategy to control carp and restore this unique and valuable habitat.  As a first step, the Refuge will be surveying a representative array of aquatic water bodies to determine water quality, locate carp recruitment hot-spots for carp , and assess the potential for native species to control carp should they be restored.  This plan and preliminary data will be described.