The discovery of smallmouth bass in a section of the Colorado River concerns marine biologists because the fish are natural predators of the humpback chub, an endangered native fish, another potential disaster caused by ongoing climate change and poor water management policy, the Associated Press reports.
The smallmouth bass were found south of the Glen Canyon Dam last week. The area above the dam is stocked with smallmouth bass, a popular sport fish, but with the water level above the dam so low, the bass are able to get around the dam and inhabit the lower river, the habitat of the humpback chub.
“It’s pretty devastating to see all the hard work and effort you’ve put into removing other invasive species and translocating populations around to protect the fish and to see all that effort overturned really quickly,” National Park Service fisheries biologist Jeff Arnold said.