The Canadian River in eastern New Mexico is one of the best examples in the state of a healthy, intact native fish assemblage. Below Ute Reservoir, the river provides critical habitat for Arkansas River Shiner and Peppered Chub, two minnow species that thrive in sandy rivers of the Great Plains ecosystem. These species are pelagic spawners, meaning that their eggs develop while drifting in the water column, requiring flowing waters to complete their life cycle. Both species are imperiled and are listed under New Mexico’s Wildlife Conservation Act and the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Act, mainly because of river fragmentation and drying throughout their range. The Department has been actively involved in their conservation for decades. Efforts have included demographic and genetic monitoring, supporting research on the timing and quantity of necessary river flows, and collaborating with other agencies to develop a captive broodstock to minimize extinction risk.