US downlists Razorback Sucker after one population grows from 100 to 36,000 fish

The US Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the razorback sucker from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The razorback sucker, found only in the Colorado River basin, saw one population grow from 100 to about 36,000 adults.

Recovery efforts included habitat restoration, fish stocking, and control of invasive species, aided by programs like the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.

The final rule, issued July 16, includes a Section 4(d) rule allowing limited activities linked to conservation.

Ongoing threats such as drought, changing river flows, and non-native predators mean the species still requires legal protection.