McAda is a threat guy. Get rid of the threats, the populations will climb. But he sees both sides. Clearly, having bunches of fish in the river is crucial. He cites a once-huge population of Grand Canyon humpback chubs that used to flirt with others upriver.
Dams now limit the mixing, jeopardizing the species' future.
The fray over when to declare the four endangered fish saved is heating up, with state officials, environmentalists, power providers and federal biologists clashing over population goals, stocking strategies and habitat needs. Greg Walcher, the chief of Colorado's Department of Natural Resources, is particularly outspoken about defining success. He lists all the work done, and still planned, on the river. Fish ladders, water releases, habitat preservation. It makes it less and less clear whether we're going to get there.