Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program 2014 overview

Authors: Melissa Trammell, Kevin McAbee, Pete Cavalli

Year: 2014 (xlvi)

Abstract

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was established in 1988 to help bring four species of endangered fish back from the brink of extinction: the Humpback Chub, Gila cypha, Bonytail, G. elegans, Colorado Pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus lucius, and Razorback Sucker, Xyrauchen texanus. The Recovery Program is a unique partnership of local, state, and federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups working to recover endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state laws and interstate compacts. Recovery involves restoring and managing stream flows and habitat, propagation and stocking of hatchery-raised endangered fish, nonnative fish control, research and monitoring, public outreach and program management. The goal of recovery is to achieve natural, self-sustaining populations of the endangered fish so they no longer require protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. Individual research and monitoring projects within the Recovery Program have often been reported at Desert Fishes Council meetings over the last 26 years, but the full breadth of the Recovery Program may be less well known among council members. I will present an overview of the Recovery Program’s progress and status of the fishes, with an emphasis on nonnative fish control. The threats to recovery remain serious, but much has been accomplished. Recovery of long-lived species requires ongoing management action plus patience and cooperation from all partners.

Resumen

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