GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that construction is complete on grow-out ponds at the Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility located just outside of Fruita, Colo. The facilities are 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.

A total of 22 ponds were constructed by Kissner General Contractors Inc., of Cedaredge, Colo. The ponds range 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 cost $5.3 million and was funded by the recovery programs to hold and rear endangered razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, and potentially bonytail and humpback chub. In the following months Reclamation will complete mitigation and revegetate the site.

A media tour of the facilities will be at held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 23, 2012. Reclamation and Fish and Wildlife specialists will be on site to answer questions. To attend the media tour, RSVP by noon on Wednesday, August 22 to Justyn Hock at 248-0625. After we receive your RSVP, you will receive the meeting location for the tour. If no media RSVP's for the tour, the tour will be cancelled.

For more information contact Justyn Hock with Reclamation at (970) 248-0625.