Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wyoming
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Freshwater fishes are threatened due to water diversion, habitat alteration, and nonnative species. The Roundtail Chub is a fish species endemic to the Colorado River Basin that currently occupies only 45% of its historic range. The Blacks Fork population constitutes the largest contiguous (i.e., not fragmented by barriers) population of Roundtail Chub remaining in Wyoming, but very little is known about their current status and life history. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our goal is to determine general movement patterns of all Roundtail Chub life stages, timing of movements, how populations are connected, and whether they are using tributaries. The results of this study will provide information necessary for managers to conserve Roundtail Chub populations in the Blacks Fork drainage and across their range.