Silvery Minnow Refugium - Albuquerque NM 

Van H. Gilbert Architect PC, in association with FishPro, developed conceptual and final design for a naturalized refugium for propagation of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow at the City of Albuquerque's Biological Park. 

The facility consists of a 50,000 gallon outdoor refugium as well as a 3,500 SF building with tiers of aquarium tanks that contain tens of thousands of baby minnows, each no more than a sixth of an inch long.

The donut-shaped outdoor pond varies in depth from about one inch to two feet. Pumps control the current to mimic the natural flows of the Rio Grande river. The bottom surface is a mixture of sand, gravel and silt.

The breeding goal of the $1.7 million facility was to produce 50,000 minnows this year - with 25,000 minnows to be returned to the river and 25,000 to be retained for future captive spawning. The actual numbers are much higher.

This project is the recipient of the Association of Conservation Engineers 2003 Award of Excellence (top honor/national design award) and the Best Civil/Infrastructure New Mexico Project for the Best of 2003 Awards from Southwest Contractor magazine.

City of Albuquerque Helps Preserve the Silvery Minnow

The Rio Grande silvery minnow is a finger-sized fish that receives special protection because it is an endangered species (listed in 1994). The minnow traditionally lived in the shallow "braids" or side channels that used to run along the sides of the Rio Grande. Currently, most of the silvery minnow population lives south of Albuquerque between Soccorro and Elephant Butte. The City of Albuquerque has taken a lead role in preserving the silvery minnow and is involved in many strategies to help preserve and protect the minnow.

Efforts range from providing water to maintain flows during key periods of the minnow's regeneration cycle to funding a research and regeneration project at the Bio-Park and to developing a long-term recovery plan.