DWR trying to preserve Columbia spotted frogs

Wildlife biologists in northern Utah are transplanting Columbia spotted frogs to Uinta Mountain wetlands. The transplant project involves "hatching" tadpoles from eggs in containers in Ogden. The young tadpoles are then moved to pristine, high mountain wetlands.

Columbia spotted frogs, though only 2-3 inches in length, play a big role in Utah's wildlife-conservation efforts. Frogs have long been viewed by biologists as indicators of the health of our environment. The decline of these small frogs and other amphibians has caused the DWR and other conservation agencies to take action to restore and expand frog populations.

The Columbia spotted frog ranges from southeast Alaska through Alberta, Canada, and into Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and disjunctive areas of Nevada and Utah.

In Utah, isolated Columbia spotted frog populations exist in the west desert and along the Wasatch Front. Unfortunately, habitat degradation and loss have led to declines in many of these populations, especially those along the Wasatch Front, precipitating the inclusion of the species on the Utah Sensitive Species List.

With a goal of recovering the Columbia spotted frog, several government agencies are working cooperatively under a Conservation Agreement to eliminate or significantly reduce the threats facing the species.

Utah conservation data base can be found on http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/ucdc/.

Paul Thompson, biologist for the DWR's Northern Region, said this transplant is the culmination of years of planning and effort.

"The purpose of the project is to strengthen the population of frogs to keep them from being listed as an endangered species; right now they are considered as a conservation species, which is a step lower than a threatened or endangered listing in Utah," he said.