A 20-year struggle to protect the rare Santa Ana sucker

A pair of Santa Ana suckers search for algae among the rocks in the Santa Ana River in Colton, Calif. The governments argue that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s protection plan unfairly imposes restrictions on water conservation, groundwater recharge and flood control operations that affect more than 1 million Southern California residents.

Biologist Jason May searches for Santa Ana suckers and Arroyo chubs in the Santa Ana River in Colton, Calif. “If the sucker can’t survive here, it’s an indicator of a very altered hydrologic system that is likely to be detrimental to many other native species,” said Heather Dyer, a biologist with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.

Santa Ana suckers and Arroyo chubs swim in the Santa Ana River in Colton, Calif. Opponents argue that some areas designated as critical habitat are dry for most of the year and therefore of no help in fulfilling the sucker’s complex life cycle.

Biologist Jason May searches for Santa Ana suckers and Arroyo chubs in the Santa Ana River in Colton, Calif. The dispute over protecting the sucker has grown more intense in recent years as dry conditions have depleted the amount of water flowing in the river.

The Santa Ana River bed begins to dry up after torrential rains near where biologists searched for Santa Ana suckers and Arroyo chubs. “Right now, there are no clear rules of the road when the interests of a species and habitat intersect with the interests of the human environment,” said Greg Wilkenson, a lawyer representing the water agencies.