Colorado River native fish restoration advances in Utah and wider basin

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, will conduct rotenone treatments in two High Uintas drainages in August to remove non‑native fish and facilitate the recovery of native Colorado River cutthroat trout. Treatments are scheduled for Fall Creek (Aug 3‑6) and the North Fork of Sheep Creek (Aug 19 and Aug 26); public access to the waters will be restricted until rotenone levels are undetectable.

Federal and state wildlife officials have upgraded the status of the Colorado River razorback sucker from "endangered" to "threatened" after more than two decades of collaborative recovery efforts. The downlisting reflects successful habitat restoration, flow management, and stocking programs, though officials note continued challenges from drought and other environmental pressures. The species now occupies parts of Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and historically extended into Wyoming and Mexico's Baja and Sonora regions.