But biologists are stocking the fish in hopes of learning what they need to survive. Workers poured 10,000 bonytail into the Green and Yampa rivers in Colorado this summer, and more releases are planned. The fish rescuers acknowledge that progress seems slow. They say they needed years of research just to know what steps to take. Now, they say, it's beginning to pay off.
Some independent experts agree.
But, Holden says, improvements come slowly. People must be patient. The effort is all the more difficult, he says, because factors helping the fish are subtle and hard to convey to the public. He points out that the Fish and Wildlife Service likes to show off a fish ladder around a dam on the Gunnison River because it's easy for people to understand. It's a clear sign of action in the recovery effort.