The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $4.8 million contract to Kissner General Contractors Inc., of Cedaredge, Colo., for construction of the Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facilities just outside of Fruita, Colo., as part of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. The facility will house numerous grow-out ponds that will be used for holding and rearing endangered Colorado River fish.

"Since the inception of these multi-stakeholder recovery programs, a number of important goals have been achieved," said Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor. "This contract represents another significant step in the on-going collaborative conservation work to protect and restore the endangered Colorado River fish populations."

Under the contract, a total of 22 ponds will be constructed ranging in size from 0.1 to 0.5 acres. Combined, there will be a total of approximately 6.2 acres of ponds each between five and six feet deep and lined with a geomembrane fabric to reduce seepage. The need for the grow-out ponds was identified through the recovery programs to ensure the success of fish reproduction and genetic monitoring efforts.

Construction of the fish facilities is being funded by the recovery programs to hold and rear endangered razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, and potentially bonytail and humpback chub. Construction work will begin in October 2011 and will conclude in the fall of 2012.

For more information contact Justyn Hock with Reclamation at (970) 248-0625 or Debbie Felker with the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program at (303) 969-7322 ext. 227.