The Nevada Department of Wildlife has restored the Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area pond, giving the endangered Pahranagat roundtail chub a chance to return after a well-pump failure during the early COVID shutdown wiped out the refuge population. Careful planning and funding support allowed the pond to be refilled and prepared for reintroduction, as reported by the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped maintain broodstock at their New Mexico hatchery, where about 1,000 hatchery-reared chubs were raised. These fish are now ready to repopulate their native Nevada waters, marking a key step in conserving the species, as stated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
"The Pahranagat roundtail chub is the most critically endangered fish in Nevada. By stocking the Key Pittman refuge pond with hatchery-reared Pahranagat roundtail chub, this is a step in the right direction towards the recovery of this population," said Kevin Guadalupe, Fisheries Biologist at Nevada Department of Wildlife. According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife on their Facebook page, Nevada Department of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stocked the pond to help increase the population of this fish in Nevada.
