WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, July 26, 2012
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: Taylor Jones (303) 353-1490

Additional Contact: Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, 503-449-3792, sblack@xerces.org

Gila, NM – In response to a petition filed by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, WildEarth Guardians, and mayfly expert Dr. William Patrick McCafferty, the US Fish and Wildlife Service determined today that the Gila mayfly, an imperiled aquatic insect, may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act. A positive 90-day finding was issued, and the Service will now begin a status review of the species. Mayflies are insects that spend the first part of their lives under water and they are incredibly sensitive to changes in water quality. 

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, a conservation biologist with 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 Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Protecting these insects and their critical habitat will safeguard water quality and ensure a healthier future for the myriad other species that depend on these streams for survival.”

For more information, read the petition.

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.

WildEarth Guardians is a conservation organization working to protect and restore wildlife, wild rivers, and wild places in the American West. The group has a long-standing campaign to safeguard the biodiversity and ecosystem health of the Greater Gila Bioregion.