Although not Federally listed as threatened or endangered, the roundtail chub, also a sportfish in Arizona, is nearly extirpated from sections of the Verde and Salt river drainages. The purpose of this investigation, from March 1998 through March 2000, was to describe ecological requirements and population dynamics of roundtail chub. The objectives were to describe species composition, distribution and abundance, quantify habitat selection by different life stages, estimate population size, quantify movement and age and growth, and describe the reproductive capacity of roundtail chub.

A resident of Wickenburg, Arizona and her husband reported experiencing some adverse health effects that she felt may be attributed to a recent pesticide application to her home. The family requested the Arizona Department of Health Services to evaluate whether the remaining levels of pesticides present in her home would cause any health effects. The resident reported to ADHS that their symptoms continued to worsen over time, and that the chemical continued to pool in their house even after being wiped up several times, so that she and her husband vacated the house. The couple underwent extensive testing, and are receiving oxygen treatment to alleviate their symptoms. No medical records have been submitted to ADHS for review, and it is difficult to conclusively analyze health outcome information as it has been self reported.

The objective of this health assessment is to provide an evaluation of current and future potential health risks that may result from exposure to residual organochlorine pesticides at Franklin Elementary School in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has been unoccupied for the past 10 years. The historic school building is being restored by the school district, which plans to reopen the building for use as an elementary school. Several organochlorine pesticides were discovered in the soil during routine environmental sampling done in conjunction with the renovation. In particular, chlordane and dieldrin, banned in the United States in the early 1980's, were present in concentrations above screening levels.

The Arizona Department of Health Services was asked by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate the potential health effects from inhalation of toxic vapors as a result of an unplanned, concentrated nitric acid release. According to Hudson Farms, at approximately 1 pm on July 1st, concentrated nitric acid began escaping from a small leak in a 33,000 gallon storage tank. By 4:30 pm, the first responding fire department units observed an orange colored plume that was moving with the wind direction. The large plume continued to dissipate throughout the area until about 8:30 pm that night. Small amounts of nitric acid that was generally restricted to the Hudson property continued to leak until approximately 8 am the morning of July 2nd when pumping of acid waste waters into emergency storage tanks was completed. It is estimated by ADEQ that a total of 4,0 00-4,500 gallons of concentrated nitric acid was released from the storage tank. Approximately 600 people from the town of Laveen and the Gila River Indian Community were immediately evacuated. Residents were allowed re -entry to their homes the following day, July 2nd at approximately 10 am.

The objective of this health assessment is to provide an evaluation of the health risks that may result from exposure to abandoned mine tailings in Klondyke, Arizona. The tailings are remnants from an earlier flotation mill and mining operation that was in business from the early 1900's until 1950. Environmental data indicate that the 70,000 cubic yards of tailings that remain on the property have contaminated the soil and nearby creeks with heavy metals. This report evaluates the potential pathways of human exposure to the contaminated media. The contaminants of concern further evaluated are lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, manganese, and boron. Child health issues and community concerns are also an integral part of the evaluation.

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.

The goal of our study was to develop information to help manage aquatic plants in Arizona’s reservoirs to benefit sport fish management activities and angler access. To attain this goal we surveyed aquatic plants in reservoirs throughout Arizona and evaluated if the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s aquatic weed harvesting program was benefiting the fisheries program. Aquatic plant harvesting is probably a worthwhile endeavor to improve angler access and keep our angling customers satisfied. However, we strongly recommend that more effective decontamination procedures be implemented to limit the spread of invasive species