When the Glen Canyon Dam came online in the 1960s, the Bureau of Reclamation was more concerned with banking a reliable reservoir for lower Colorado River basin states, and generating hydroelectric power, than the unintended effects on the downstream ecosystem in Grand Canyon and beyond.
Three of the canyon’s eight species of native fish have perished due to the subsequent shift in water temperature, flow and clarity attributed to the operation of the dam.
The indigenous humpback chub came close to meeting a similar fate. With the help of conservation efforts by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and others, this feisty fish has made a stand in the warmer, clearer waters of side streams such as the Little Colorado River and Havasu Creek.
The release of chubs this spring in Bright Angel Creek represents another milestone in an unfolding comeback story for this canyon resident pushed to the brink of extinction. Follow this link for more information: Humpback Chub Successfully Released in Bright Angel Creek in Grand Canyon National Park