Barriers Beget Barriers: The Political-Ecological Drivers and Consequences of Fish Barriers in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management

Keywords: Invasive, Aquatic, Native, River, Management, Conservation, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Dams, Fish, Barriers, Connectivity, Environmental, Policy, Conflict
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The establishment and spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) is considered a threat to the ecological health and Aquatic Native Species (ANS) populations of Central Arizona’s freshwater ecosystems. Current management efforts to address AIS with fish barriers accompany significant policy and ecological challenges. While effective at preventing the upstream spread of AIS, fish barriers often mimic the aesthetic and functional qualities of a dam in disrupting the hydrological connectivity of a river. Additionally, by “disrupting a river's free-flowing nature,” barrier use potentially disqualifies a river from Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) eligibility and accompanying Federal protections for designated rivers and surrounding ecosystems. Conflict between the WSRA and fish barrier use has not been aligned or negotiated, and mitigating the impact of AIS with barriers threatens the conservation potential of the Act. A current proposal for two barriers on the WSRA-eligible, free-flowing portion of the Upper Verde River (UVR) highlights the political-ecological influences driving AIS management actions at the expense of the river’s free-flowing nature and concomitant Federal environmental protection potential. Using the proposed UVR barriers as a representative case study and completing a literature review, comparative analysis of AIS management alternatives, and a series of surveys and semi-structured interviews, this research seeks to investigate the federal policy mismatch of AIS management on free-flowing river systems. Findings can be used by river conservation advocates, local-stakeholders, and AIS management entities to identify where conflicts between WSRA designation and fish barrier use could manifest and be addressed currently and in the future.