ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — On Dec. 9, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a notice that the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout does not need threatened or endangered status under the Endangered Species Act. 

This subspecies of cutthroat trout is found in 119 high-altitude stream locations in New Mexico, and Colorado. Habitat loss, competition, and predation by nonnative fish that hybridize with the native cutthroat have negatively impacted this species. 

Anglers prize the trout. In a statement to the Valley Courier, Kevin Terry, Southwest Program Director with Trout Unlimited, said, "This is fantastic news, and we expected this decision. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish have done a remarkable job leading a large, well-functioning range-wide conservation team, made up of federal agencies, tribes, and NGO supporters like Trout Unlimited that are focused on following the conservation strategy and helping each other succeed. The large body of Trout Unlimited and partner-led project work on our plates right now gives me confidence that we'll use the momentum to hit an even higher gear for Rio Grande's cutthroat conservation work in the years ahead. This work helps ensure that our children and future generations will have the opportunity to fish for Rio Grande cutthroat in their native habitat!" 

The FWS ruling was the result of a comprehensive review process that involved consultation with scientists, state agencies, and species experts. The decision came after the Rio Grande Cutthroat was first considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act over a decade ago. 

In 2003, a team composed of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Jicarilla-Apache Nation, the Mescalero-Apache Nation, the Taos Pueblo Tribe, Western Native Trout Initiative, and Trout Unlimited collaborated on a wide-range of projects focused on improving research and protection for this native fish. An updated conservation agreement and 10-year plan to protect the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout was signed in 2013. 

After evaluating the species' current status and future prospects, the FWS concluded that the Rio Grande cutthroat trout is not in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future. Therefore, it does not meet the definition of a threatened or endangered species. 

Decades of ongoing multi-partnership efforts have successfully supported the conservation of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The commitment to continued management will not only promote its long-term survival but also instill hope for the future of this species. 

The Rio Grande cutthroat trout, one of 13 subspecies of cutthroat trout, lives in mostly remote, mountainous streams in New Mexico and southern Colorado. The stunning fish is red, orange and yellow, and has dark spots. To complete its life cycle, the freshwater salmonid needs a network of slow and fast streams with clear, cold, and highly oxygenated water and gravel substrates. It is in this substrate the fish alter the gravel and create a shallow depression in the riverbed called a redd where the tout lay eggs to spawn. 

“The Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a species of significant cultural and recreational importance, has been New Mexico's state fish since 1955," said the Service's Southwest Regional Director Amy Lueders. "This fish is a symbol of the region's natural beauty and a key species for recreational angling in New Mexico and Colorado. Management efforts have therefore focused on population restoration, habitat improvement, and research, underscoring the species' value to the local community and its importance to our shared heritage.” 

According to the FWS, trout have a long history with humans in the area. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout holds the distinction of being the first trout documented in the New World. In 1541, the Coronado Entrada was near Pecos Pueblo, about  15 miles from today's Santa Fe, where chronicler Pedro Castañeda noted truchas swimming in a Pecos River tributary. This historical documentation not only highlights the long-standing relationship between humans and the Rio Grande cutthroat trout but also underscores its cultural significance. Trucha is Spanish for trout. 

The FWS is thankful to the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Conservation Team because their continued work and efforts by other partners will support the health of both the subspecies and its habitat into the future. 

According to the FWS, it evaluated the past, present, and future threats to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The primary factor impacting the survival of the subspecies is the presence of nonnative species of trout, including rainbow trout, brook trout, and brown trout. These nonnative species pose a significant threat to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout by competing for resources and interbreeding, leading to genetic dilution. The conservation populations of Rio Grande cutthroat trout (i.e., populations with less than 10 percent genetic introgression from nonnative trout) occupy approximately 12 percent of the species' historical range. Additional threats include habitat loss due to human activities, reduced habitat connectivity, and the spread of whirling disease, a parasitic infection that affects trout populations. These ongoing threats underscore the need for continued conservation efforts to ensure the survival of the Rio Grande. 

For anglers, the New Mexico Game and Fish Department says this, “Catching a Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is a one-of-a kind experience. Their beauty, tenacity, and willingness to eat just about anything have made them a very popular sport fish.”