Laserfiche WebLink
historic distribution (Rinne 1971, Cross 1975, Valdez et al. 1991, Addley and Hardy 1993). <br />Over the last 50 years there has been a decline in the range of the species. The present <br />distribution of the Virgin spinedace is substantially smaller than its former range with <br />approximately 37-40 percent (83 km, 52 mi) of its habitat lost due to human impacts (Valdez <br />et al. 1991, Addley and Hardy 1993). Stream reaches that historically contained spinedace, <br />but are now dewatered, include portions of the East Fork of Beaver Dam Wash, the Santa <br />Clara River downstream Gunlock Reservoir, Mogatsu Creek, Ash Creek near Toquerville, <br />Leeds Creek, and the mainstem Virgin River between Quail Creek Diversion and Pah Tempe <br />Springs. Current distribution of the spinedace includes portions of the mainstem Virgin <br />River and eleven of its tributaries and subtributaries including the East Fork Virgin River, <br />Shunes Creek, North Fork Virgin River, North Creek, LaVerkin Creek, Ash Creek, Santa <br />Clara River, Beaver Dam Wash, Coal Pits Wash, Moody Wash, and Mogatsu Creek. <br />Previous Federal Actions <br />The woundfm was listed as endangered on October 13, 1970 (35 FR 16047). A Woundfin <br />Recovery Plan was originally prepared in July 1979, then revised on March 1, 1984. On <br />November 2, 1977, the Service proposed critical habitat for the woundfin (42 FR 57329), but <br />on March 6, 1979 the proposal was withdrawn (44 FR 12382) due to the changed <br />requirements in the 1978 amendments to the Endangered Species Act which required <br />proposals that have not been finalized within two years to be withdrawn. On July 24, 1985 <br />the- Service ruled that it would reintroduce woundfin into the Gila River drainage in Arizona <br />and determined this population to be "nonessential experimental" according to section 10(j) <br />of the Act (50 FR 30188). <br />On August 23, 1978 the Service proposed to determine the Virgin River chub to be an <br />endangered species and to identify critical habitat (43 FR 37668). However, this proposal <br />was withdrawn on September 30, 1980 (45 FR 64853) due to the changed requirements in <br />the 1978 amendments to the Act. The Virgin River chub was listed as endangered on August <br />24, 19$9 (54 FR 35305). Critical habitat was proposed but a final determination was <br />postponed. When the Virgin River chub was listed, the Muddy River form was omitted due <br />to uncertainty regarding its taxonomy. A Virgin River Fishes Recovery Plan has recently <br />been finalized and includes both the woundfin and Virgin River chub, excluding the Muddy <br />River population of the Virgin River chub. <br />Critical habitat has not been previously designated for any of the Virgin River listed fishes. <br />On March 18, 1994, the U.S. District Court, Colorado (Court) ordered the Service to <br />designate critical habitat for the woundfm, Virgin River chub, and Virgin spinedace (if it is <br />listed before December 31, 1994). The Court ordered that critical habitat be proposed by <br />April 1, 1995, and be finalized by December 1, 1995. The Virgin spinedace was proposed <br />for listing as threatened on May 18, 1994 (59 FR 25875). <br />4 <br />