Gila Topminnow were first listed as endangered in 1967 and historically inhabited slow flowing streams, springs, and marshes below 4,500 feet elevation in the southern portion of Arizona below the Mogollon Rim. The Gila Topminnow was once the most common fish species in the Gila River Basin, but habitat loss and predation and competition from non-native fishes led to drastic declines. By the mid-1980s only nine natural populations remained in Arizona. Along with other state and federal partners, AZGFD soon attempted to re-establish hundreds of Gila Topminnow populations. Nearly all of these efforts failed by the mid-1990s, mostly due to drought or negative interactions with non-native fishes.
Another push to re-establish Gila Topminnow populations began in the 2000s and continues to this day. Thanks to the implementation of new conservation tools and expanding collaborations with AZGFD partners, this latest effort to re-establish the Gila Topminnow has been very successful. An important tool in these latter efforts was the creation of a Safe Harbor Agreement, a voluntary agreement involving private landowners or non-federal entities to implement conservation efforts to aid species protected under the Endangered Species Act. By working with partners, these collaborative efforts have brought the Gila Topminnow closer to recovery.
By the Numbers:
In 2020, Gila Topminnow were present at 95 locations throughout the Gila River Basin, 64 of which had persisted for more than five years
Of the 95 reintroduction locations, 49 are ponds and 46 are streams
By the end of 2020, 28 landowners were enrolled in the Safe Harbor Agreement
Partners with Gila Topminnow populations on their properties include four K-12 schools, three colleges and universities, five museums/zoos, two cities, Audubon Southwest, The Nature Conservancy, numerous private landowners, Pima County, BLM, and USFS