PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect two declining freshwater fish species in Oregon and California under the Endangered Species Act. Petitions were submitted for the Umpqua chub in southwestern Oregon and the northern roach in northeastern California and southern Oregon.

“These two unique Pacific Northwest minnows are suffering because of the rapid decline of our freshwater habitats and they need protections now,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center. “The good news is that we know federal Endangered Species Act protections are incredibly effective at preventing extinction. The Fish and Wildlife Service should move fast to make sure these irreplaceable fish survive.”

The Umpqua chub is a small minnow found only in the waterways of the Umpqua River basin: They are identifiable by a distinctive upside-down heart shaped mark on top of the head behind their eyes. Five distinct Umpqua chub populations inhabit the Smith River, Elk Creek, Calapooya Creek-Olalla Creek, Cow Creek-South Umpqua River and North Umpqua River.

Umpqua chub surveys conducted in 1987, 1998 and 2006 showed a decrease in distribution over three decades, corresponding with habitat loss from stream channelization and wetland drainage, and an increase in nonnative and predatory smallmouth bass throughout the Umpqua River drainage.

The northern roach is a small, bronze-colored minnow that occurs only in the upper Pit River basin, upstream of the Pit River Falls in northeastern California, and in a few northern tributaries of Goose Lake in southern Oregon.

In Oregon, northern roach were formerly widespread and common in northern tributaries of Goose Lake such as Dry Creek, Drews Creek, Hay Creek, Dent Creek, Muddy Creek and Augur Creek. But re-survey efforts in 2022 and 2023 documented their disappearance. Northern roach have disappeared from stream reaches in the North Fork Pit River, South Fork Pit River, and mainstem Pit River from Alturas downstream to Pit River Falls.

In California, they may remain only in Ash Creek and Rush Creek in Lassen and Modoc counties; the Bear Creek tributary to the Fall River in Shasta County; and Beaver Creek in Lassen County.

“It’s important we preserve these native fish because they’re an integral part of our Pacific Northwest river ecosystems,” said Miller. “Protecting their habitat can also safeguard the clean water we need for drinking, growing food and recreation.”

Freshwater ecosystems across the United States are highly imperiled, and one in three freshwater fish species face extinction globally. Learn more here.

Background

Umpqua chubs use off-channel stream habitats with slow water velocities, low flow, silty organic substrate, abundant vegetation and cover and feed along river bottoms on midge larvae, diving beetles and mayflies.

The Umpqua chub was thought to be wiped out in the North Umpqua River, but in 2019 a small number of these rare chubs were documented in a short stream reach of the North Umpqua for the first time in 93 years.

Northern roach prefer spring pools, margins of streams, and swampy stream reaches for habitat, feeding on algae, crustaceans and aquatic insects.

Habitat for northern roach has been destroyed and degraded by water diversions for agricultural irrigation, channelization of streams, logging and livestock grazing. Northern roach are eliminated by non-native predatory fishes that have escaped from stock ponds, such as green sunfish, largemouth bass and bluegill.