Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposal to List the Fish Virgin Spinedace as a Threatened Species

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to list the Virgin spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis mollispinis) as a threatened species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. The Virgin spinedace, a small fish in the minnow family (Cyprinidae), is endemic to the Virgin River drainage of southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada. The Virgin spinedace was once common in clear water tributaries of the Virgin River, in some mainstem reaches above Pah Tempe (La Verkin) Springs near Hurricane, Utah, and incidental in reaches below Pah Tempe Springs. About 40 percent of its historical habitat has been lost due to human impacts, which include habitat fragmentation; introduction of nonnative fishes; and dewatering due to agriculture, mining, and urbanization. These impacts continue to threaten the Virgin spinedace. This proposal constitutes the Service's final finding for two petitions to add the Virgin spinedace to the List of Threatened and Endangered Species and, if made final, would extend protection of the Act to the Virgin spinedace. Critical habitat will be proposed for the Virgin spinedace and two other Virgin River fish spec