To accomplish recovery for two endangered fish species, fish were stocked in the San Juan River in New Mexico during September 2006.

The New Mexico Fishery Resource Office (NMFRO) stocked 1,700 >400 mm Colorado Pikeminnow into the river. The fish came from Arizona’s Game and Fish hatchery near Page Springs, Arizona.

The Grand Junction Colorado River Fishery Project Office, the NMFRO, and the Navajo Nation Department of Game and Fish harvested, pit tagged and stocked over 11,500 razorback sucker to the San Juan River in September.  These fish were raised in the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program’s (SJRIP) grow out ponds located on the Navajo Nation. The razorback suckers averaged 300mm in length and were PIT tagged with 134 kHz tags provided by the SJRIP.  This stocking is one of the annual recovery objectives identified in SJRIP Long Range Plan.

The recovery program is a public and private partnerships working to recover endangered species while allowing water development to continue in compliance with Federal and State laws.  Program participants include the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming; and the participation and support of the Navajo Nation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Nation, water development and environmental interests.