There is a growing interest in the gaming industry. Our agency responds to numerous inquiries and requests for information and assistance from a wide array of sources including the media, economists, government officials, other gaming jurisdictions, casino patrons, and individuals and companies seeking to provide their products and services to the casinos. Because gaming affects so many people, the Arizona Department of Gaming is committed to staying on the forefront of best practices in regulation and enforcement.

Apache trout is a federally threatened salmonid native to headwaters of the Little Colorado, Black, and White rivers in east-central Arizona. Decline of Apache trout to threatened status was attributed to over-fishing, habitat degradation and negative interactions (predation, competition and hybridization) with introduced nonnative salmonids. Although over-fishing is no longer considered a threat, habitat degradation and negative interactions with nonnative salmonids continue to threaten Apache trout, and it is towards these threats that recovery actions are directed. While barrier construction began in 1979 and livestock exclusion began in the mid-1980s, the efficacy of these recovery actions at increasing Apache trout abundance and improving habitat condition had not been evaluated. We therefore initiated a study to evaluate the efficacy of riparian fencing and barriers.