Recovery Plan Approved for Rio Grande Silvery Minnow

A recovery plan for the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow was approved today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan, developed by federal, tribal, state and other key water users in the Rio Grande Basin, will guide efforts to stabilize, enhance, and reestablish the fish within central New Mexico and other portions of its historic range.

The plan was developed by the 18-member Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery Team, appointed in 1995 by John Rogers, then Regional Director of the Services Southwestern Region. It includes representatives from the Rio Grande Compact (Colorado, New Mexico and Texas), conservation groups, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New Mexico Water Resource Research Institute, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Pueblos on the Middle Rio Grande, the Universities of Texas and New Mexico, and the City of Albuquerque.

"We deeply appreciate the teamwork and dedication of these partners, who have created a credible and workable plan for recovering this New Mexico native," said Nancy Kaufman, Regional Director for the Services Southwest Region. "Restoring the silvery minnow will help New Mexicans protect their unique natural, cultural and economic resources."

The Rio Grande silvery minnow was listed as