The sicklefin chub and sturgeon chub, two minnow species native to the Missouri River basin and Mississippi River, do not warrant listing as threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.
The Service made the finding in response to a petition to list the species as endangered from American Rivers, Environmental Defense Fund, Mini Sose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition, National Audubon Society, and Nebraska Audubon Council. The petitioners cited impacts associated with the construction and continuing operation of Missouri River main stem dams and channelization as the principal threats affecting these species and their habitats.
In response to the petition, Service biologists conducted a status review of the two species that indicates populations are more abundant and better distributed throughout their range than previously believed.
"While the historic range of the sicklefin and sturgeon chub has been reduced, we have concluded that stable, self-sustaining populations remain widely distributed throughout their range," said Ralph Morgenweck, the Service
