On May 18 and 19, a half million eggs of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow were collected by 15 biologists and volunteers from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, New Mexico Game and Fish, University of New Mexico and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission.
Eggs were collected in the river from Albuquerque to Elephant Butte Reservoir. "We have helped in the rescue and propagation of more silvery minnows than we can even count," said Jim Wilber, Special Projects Officer, Bureau of Reclamation.
Last week, water managers decided to stimulate spring runoff conditions by releasing Minnow Conservation Water to mimic a natural surge flow and encourage the minnow to spawn. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District assisted in producing the surge below San Acacia. Normally, the spring runoff flows are the natural catalysts for minnow spawning, but this years drought conditions resulted in a non-noticeable spring runoff.
The minnow eggs were collected, placed into plastic bags, and transported to Albuquerque BioPark, where they hatched. Many of the resulting larvae have been sent to Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center, New Mexico State University Propagation Unit and New Mexico Game and Fish Rock Lake Hatchery at Santa Rosa to be raised. "Our propagation facilities are full now," said Dr. Joy Nicholopoulos, New Mexico Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Minnow eggs are semi-buoyant and float downstream on the current. The egg-collection device is very low-tech; it resembles a window screen set at an angle in a deep wooden box. The volunteers stand in waist deep water clearing debris off the screen. Every few minutes, the current washes transparent, bubble-like eggs into the contraption where the mesh screen stops their journey. The tiny, pea sized eggs are scooped up with plastic spoons and placed in plastic bags full of river water.
Later, these minnows will be reintroduced into the Rio Grande at locations determined by the Fish and Wildlife Service.This effort, supported by the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Work Group, continues efforts to recover the endangered silvery minnow.
"I think the ESA Work Group has accomplished a great deal, and I truly believe that the minnow is better off because of the efforts of many individuals over the last few years," said Nicholopoulos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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