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4,000 Columbia Spotted Frog Tadpoles Released on Preserve Augment

Repatriation Efforts of 2004

Jun 2006

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Swaner Nature Preserve (SNP) staff released approximately 4,000 Columbia spotted frog tadpoles this spring in an effort to augment an original release of 5,000 tadpoles in 2004. Columbia spotted frogs, once common in Snyderville Basin and along the Wasatch Front, are now included on the Utah Sensitive Species List because of drastically reduced populations caused by habitat degradation. The frogs were reintroduced to Swaner Nature Preserve in 2004, following an extensive habitat rest or ation program designed to alleviate degradation caused by agricultural practices prior to the Preserve's formation.

Restoration is a key part of SNP's mission. The Preserve is strategically located in the watershed in an area that was hist or ically extensive wetland, hosting a wide variety of native plant and animal species. With the conversion to agriculture in the last century, much of the Preserve was drained by a series of deep ditches designed to lower the water table and allow farming in areas that were too wet otherwise. Several miles of ditches were filled in 2001, rest or ing the hist or ical wetland hydrology to large areas of the Preserve and making reintroduction of wetland species such as the spotted frog possible. By reintroducing native plants and animals to these wetlands, SNP hopes to restore their important ecosystem functions.

Because Columbia spotted frogs do not breed until three years old, biologists wor king on the project say that we will not know the initial success of the repatriation project until at least next summer, when we will begin looking for egg masses. "Egg masses are the 'proof in the pudding' that spotted frogs are present," says the DWR's biologist Krissy Wilson. Egg masses are stationary and easy to find, unlike juvenile frogs. The young frogs are small, silent, and shy, making them extremely difficult to find, particularly in a tract as large as SNP's 1,200 acres.

The 4,000 tadpoles released this May will augment survivors from the original 5,000 tadpoles, add genetic diversity, and increase the long-term chances of successful spotted frog reintroduction to the Preserve. The tadpoles came from native populations found along the Provo River. The new tadpoles were placed into specialized frog basins designed to maximize their chances of survival. The basins are shallow ponds located near spring heads, a design that keeps them full of cool water all summer and prevents them from freezing solid in the winter.

The ultimate success of repatriation efforts for the Columbia spotted frog at Swaner Nature Preserve may not be known for years. Already though, the Preserve has been restored to a habitat far more conducive to this sensitive species. With wetland hydrology rest or ed, native plants appear to be rebounding. Small creeks and ponds remain wet year-round, and the insects, algae, plants, and aquatic or ganisms the frogs feed on abound. With luck, hard work, and patience, Preserve visitors will likely get to listen to the spotted frogs' call once again.

For more information, click here.

Other SNP Restoration Projects