In a remote high-desert farming region about 230 miles northwest of Las Vegas, lives a tiny fish only a few inches long. The tui chub belongs to the minnow family and is found only in Fish Lake Valley. Scientists and environmental groups say it is an important species to protect because it now survives in only a few springs and wetlands in Esmeralda County, including Lida Pond and McKnett Spring.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) species-status assessment, Nevada Department of Wildlife mark-recapture surveys at McKnett Ranch in Fish Lake Valley counted tui chub populations of 3,278 in 2002, 2,210 in 2005, and 2,143 in 2021. Under the Endangered Species Act, a species can be listed as endangered if it is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Federal biologists say the tui chub’s extremely limited habitat leaves it vulnerable. The Nevada Department of Wildlife has listed the Fish Lake Valley tui chub as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need,” but it is not currently classified as endangered.
The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that has been tracking the fish, says it is concerned not only that tui chub numbers are decreasing, but that agricultural pumping and new industrial projects in the area could place the species at greater risk.
In 2023, the CBD filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, arguing the agency had failed to protect the tui chub under the Endangered Species Act. The group said most large-scale groundwater pumping in Fish Lake Valley is tied to growing alfalfa, and that years of over-pumping have lowered water levels in the springs the fish depend on.
The group also believes that a planned lithium mining project about eight miles away would require large amounts of water—on the order of 2,500 gallons per minute drawn from Fish Lake Valley—and could further deplete the tui chub’s limited habitat. Project officials have countered these claims, stating that groundwater studies show operations will have no net effect on Fish Lake Valley’s water supply or on the spring where the tui chub lives.
Just across the valley grows a rare desert plant called Tiehm’s buckwheat, which is unique to this part of Nevada. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tiehm’s buckwheat occupies only a small area—roughly 10 acres—within a proposed 7,000-acre development zone. The agency has designated 910 acres there as critical habitat. In 2022, Fish and Wildlife listed Tiehm’s buckwheat as endangered, prompting efforts to protect the plant’s habitat.
The future of these two rare species could directly shape what residents are allowed to do with their land, affecting the region’s two most important industries: agriculture and mining. For those living in Fish Lake Valley, these issues hit very close to home.
Farmers and ranchers here have relied on these springs for generations, for their crops, their cattle, and their households. In the desert, water means survival. Many locals say they never set out to harm the tui chub, saying, “we’ve lived alongside them for decades.” Some also say they feel at the mercy of regulations written by people who don’t live in the valley or depend on it. Protest signs have appeared in stores and public gathering spots that read, “Esmeralda County is staring down the barrel of extinction,” and “Tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that we matter too.”
Listing a species under the Endangered Species Act follows a layered process that can take years. In the case of the tui chub, the push began when the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition and later a lawsuit urging federal officials to act. That set in motion a formal review by USFWS, which gathered population surveys, habitat data, and scientific studies. In May 2025, the agency issued a proposed ruling to list the Fish Lake Valley tui chub as endangered and opened a 60-day public comment period.
As of May 2025, USFWS has formally proposed listing the Fish Lake Valley tui chub as endangered, citing habitat loss tied to groundwater pumping, prolonged drought, and other climate pressures, as well as competition from invasive species. The proposal is a major step in the process, but the agency has not issued a final decision. Until that happens, the tui chub does not yet have full federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The jury is still out on how legal actions and federal reviews will affect daily life in Fish Lake Valley. For now, many residents say the debate has moved beyond local control, leaving them trying to protect their own water rights, farms, and ranches while facing the possibility of new federal wildlife protections.
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