Endangered Fish Released Into Virgin River

March 12, 2008

Release from: Mark Havnes
Salt Lake Tribune

ST. GEORGE - Wildlife officials set free some of the rarest animals in the world today in the Virgin River.

Outside of St. George, biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources started stocking 6,400 Virgin River chub and 2,500 woundfin into the stream - the only place in the world where both of the rare fish live.

Steve Meismer, area coordinator for the Virgin River Project, said the release of woundfin will augment the 6,500 added to the river last October.

"Hopefully, we'll now see reproduction of the fish that have not been in this section of the river," said Meismer, whose group works to balance human needs and the health of the river's ecosystem.

Today's release took place at three stretches along the river between La Verkin and St. George.

The chub were released at the Johnson Diversion, in a section flushed with the poison rotenone last October to wipe out the nonnative red shiner in preparation of today's release.

The chub and woundfin are listed as endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which delivered the fish from the agency's Dexter National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center in Dexter, N.M.

As part of today's project, about 40 rare Virgin spinedace captured in the river will be transported to the Advertisement

Dexter fish hatchery for a breeding and chronicling program, said wildlife biologist Mike Golden.