Steve Meismer, Local Coordinator for the Virgin River Program, explained that the barrier is designed to prevent the spread of the Red Shiner fish, an invasive species that poses a significant ...

Dams also prevent shiners from migrating up- and downstream to find better habitat during times of low stream flow, and they encourage these fish to linger in deep areas rife with nonnative predators.

The shiner was first identified as threatened 50 years ago and was put on a waiting list for Endangered Species Act ...