WildEarth Guardians

Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Conservation Groups Seek Endangered Species Protection for an Imperiled Gila River Mayfly

Loss and degradation of high quality aquatic habitats threaten the Gila mayfly with extinction
Contact: Dr. Nicole Rosmarino (505) 699-7404

This mayfly is known solely from a small area of the Gila River drainage system in Grant County of southwestern New Mexico. A recent scientific status review by the Xerces Society found that the Gila mayfly is threatened by increased stream sediment and pollution from recreational activities and cattle grazing. The Gila mayfly requires clean, fast-flowing water to survive, yet many streams in the Gila River drainage are on the Clean Water Act list of impaired waters due to high levels of aluminum. Global climate change threatens to alter the hydrology and flow regime of the Gila River, which will further impact this highly sensitive mayfly. Without protection under the Endangered Species Act, this mayfly may go extinct.

"The Gila mayfly is a good indicator of the health of the

Gila River and its tributaries," said Sarah Foltz Jordan, Conservation Associate of the Xerces Society. "Because mayflies are so sensitive to changes in water quality, the Gila mayfly can be considered the 'canary in the coal mine' of the Gila River."

Conservation actions taken to protect aquatic insects will also benefit other species. For example, protecting a stream that harbors a critically imperiled mayfly by reducing over-grazing or restoring streamside plants will also benefit the fish, amphibians, mammals and birds that depend on that habitat.

"The Gila mayfly has a highly restricted range and remarkable behavior" stated Dr. McCafferty, a professor at Purdue University and mayfly expert. "Considering the degradation of the Gila River in Arizona and possible impending degradation of this river system in New Mexico that constitutes the only known habitat of the Gila mayfly, this species deserves special consideration and protection among the North American aquatic fauna."

Fly fishers have long recognized the significance of aquatic insects such as mayflies as critical food sources for fish. These, and other aquatic insects, serve as keystone species at the base of freshwater ecosystems. These species are also used by watershed stewards as biological indicators to monitor the condition of their streams.

"The Gila mayfly urgently needs the legal protections of the Endangered Species Act," stated Nicole Rosmarino, Wildlife Program Director of WildEarth Guardians. "Protecting these insects and their critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act will safeguard water quality and ensure a healthier future for the myriad other species that depend on these streams for their survival."

View the Petition (PDF)