1992 – The Bonneville Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance petitioned for Endangered Species Act protection for the Virgin River spinedace.
1994 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the spinedace as threatened under the Act.
1995 – The Service proposed to designate 126 river miles of critical habitat to protect the spinedace.
1996 – After the development of the Virgin River Spinedace Conservation Agreement and Strategy, the Service withdrew the proposed listing and critical habitat.
2011 – The Center submitted comments opposing the Ash Creek Reservoir and Pipeline Project, which would destroy spinedace habitat in Ash Creek and decrease flows to the Virgin River.
November 20, 2012 – The Center petitioned for Endangered Species Act protection for the spinedace.
March 16, 2016 – The Center filed a lawsuit against the Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect the Virgin River spinedace under the Endangered Species Act.
August 30, 2016 – The Center reached a settlement with the Service requiring the agency to determine by 2021 whether the Virgin River spinedace warrants Endangered Species Act protection.
