Contacts: 
Robert Pine 512-490-0057,
Victoria Fox 505-248-6455 or
Elizabeth Slown 505-248-6909

Recovery Plan Completed for the Threatened Devils River Minnow

The final Recovery Plan for the Devils River minnow (Dionda diaboli) has been approved by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife.  The species was listed as threatened in 1999 under the Endangered Species Act and is also listed as threatened by the State of Texas.

The Recovery Plan identifies specific, voluntary actions that will help recover the fish so it may eventually be removed from the list of threatened and endangered species.  Objectives and criteria for delisting the species are spelled out.  In addition, the fish?s status and current management practices are described.

            This small fish is currently known to occur in three streams in Val Verde and Kinney counties, Texas, all tributaries to the Rio Grande: Devils River, San Felipe Creek and Pinto Creek. The current status of the species in Sycamore Creek, Texas, and in the Río Salado drainage in Chihuahua, Mexico is not known.  The species was once found in the lower portions of the Devils River (now Amistad Reservoir in Val Verde County), Las Moras Creek (Kinney County), and from the Río San Carlos (Mexico) but is no longer believed to be there. 

            The Devils River minnow depends on the constant clean flow of spring waters and is at extreme risk from habitat loss and degradation caused by spring flow declines, water pollution and impacts from introduced, non-native species.  Proposed recovery actions include: (1) to maintain and enhance Devils River minnow populations and habitats range-wide; (2) control the invasion of non-native species; (3) to establish additional Devils River minnow populations within the historic range, specifically in Las Moras Creek; and (4) to maintain genetic reserves of Devils River minnow through captive propagation until no longer needed.         

Acting Deputy Regional Director Larry Bell stated,  ?Since the fish was listed, the Service has been working closely with Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Del Rio and private landowners to implement voluntary conservation measures and to develop conservation strategies that are included in the Recovery Plan.  Efforts such as these provide a win for everyone involved and truly benefit the species? recovery.?

The Recovery Plan underwent a public review period earlier in 2005 and was peer reviewed by five outside experts to ensure the Plan was based on the best available scientific information.

One private landowner commented on the Plan that recent improvement in the status of the fish in the Devils River is ?proof that cooperation between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife and landowners can work compatibly and accomplish goals.?

The Service uses a priority system for recovery of listed species with a range of 1 to 18, with 1 ranking as highest.  The Devils River minnow has a recovery priority of 2, which indicates that Devils River minnow is a species with a high degree of threat yet has high recovery potential.

Copies of the Recovery Plan can be obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas, 78758.  It can also be accessed on the Internet at: 

http://ifw2es.fws.gov/Documents/R2ES/
Devils_River_Minnow_FINAL_Recovery_Plan.pdf

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 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 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 and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

Visit the Service?s website at:  http://www.fws.gov

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