Their work this month will confirm or repudiate preliminary data collected this summer that show the minnow might be on the brink of extinction. Almost 100 percent of the minnows counted this summer were found in the very lowest reach of the middle Rio Grande Valley, an area below a railroad bridge at San Marcial that marks the beginning of the Elephant Butte headwaters. Critical habitat ends at the bridge, which means those fish have drifted out of the protected zone. Ironically, Hanson said, the minnow's situation is precarious enough that extending protection of its habitat could be meaningless. The population has been so reduced, we're down to protecting individuals.
Every little bit helps when a species is on the verge of extinction.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says that, in general, critical habitat does little to protect endangered species. The agency says that protection of an endangered species automatically means some protection of habitat and that the extra habitat designation adds nothing. On the other hand, conservationists and water users on the Rio Grande contend that critical habitat will create greater protection for minnows. State water officials have predicted huge losses of water as a result of the critical habitat designation.