Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes and manage against nonnative fishes in response to several Endangered Species Act biological opinions between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Central Arizona Project (CAP) water transfers to the Gila River basin. Populations of some Gila River native fish species are rare in the wild and appear on the verge of extirpation. The CAP Program provides monies to undertake and support conservation actions for five priority fishes and other native fishes in the Gila River basin by implementing recovery plans. The Program will last 30 years, and provide more than $16M. In addition, the Program provides monies to control and eradicate nonnative fishes and other non-indigenous aquatic organisms. Thus the Program is directed toward actions against nonnative aquatic biota where it interferes with recovery of native forms. Fund transfers from Reclamation to the Service began in 1997; about $6.8M has been allocated so far and Reclamation will transfer about $9.2M the next 17 years. One half of the funding is identified for native fish recovery actions, and one half for non-native aquatic biota control actions. Multiple conservation and recovery projects benefitting native fish in the Gila basin have been funded so far. In addition, barriers and management against nonnative species have been funded and completed.