Size Doesn't Matter
Once an endangered species, the Oregon Chub is now returning for biodiversity and sustainability
By Deanna Jacobs and Cailin Holt
On one quiet morning in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Brian Bangs is on the hunt for Oregon Chub. At the edge of a shallow pond, waders submerged in the water, a buck in hand, and the shoreline vegetation rustling in the wind. One seems like an average pond, but to Bangs, it is a milestone of the decades-long battle to save the region’s most overlooked species: the Oregon Chub.
This small, three-inch-long minnow, once at risk of disappearing, is now flourishing in ponds all over the Willamette Valley. However, its comeback story goes almost as unnoticed as its disappearance from the ecosystem. This comeback has been a pivotal example of quality conservation efforts nationwide.
Oregon Chub Size Comparison to Human Hands - Brian Bangs
Brian Bangs, who used to work with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and is now with the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Service, is known throughout the Willamette Valley as the expert on Oregon chub. After many years of restoration of valuable pond areas and movement and counting of Oregon Chub, as of 2023, the Oregon Chub was officially taken off the endangered species list.
Oregon Chub Ideal Habitat in Spring - Brian Bangs
Many obstacles came with these restoration efforts, Bangs found that working relationships with other organizations became key to moving forward, however, concerning land owners made some tasks difficult to move forward. Bangs shared, "At first, landowners were hesitant to work with us, fearing that the presence of an endangered species, like the chub, might restrict their land use. Many ranchers and farmers were concerned that discovering a chub on their property would complicate their operations. We aimed to build trust and show them we weren’t there to change their business—just to save this little fish.” The way that Bangs and his team approached partnerships with landowners by emphasizing that if the chub was surviving on their land, they were likely doing something right helped to get many other landowners to embrace the restoration efforts and the Oregon Chub movement.
Cooperation with Landowners - Brian Bangs
The Oregon Chub was put on the Endangered Species Act in 1993. However, the species' struggles were unnoticed for decades due to their not being monitored. As Bangs described to us, the Oregon chub's instinct, if a predator comes up, is to get into vegetation, which might seem like a great escape route but, unfortunately, is not because that is right where bass, bluegill, and other non-native fish in the Willamette River eat. So, their natural tendencies worked against them, which was one of the big things that led them to decline as a species. Additionally, the Oregon chub’s small size and limited range—endemic to the Willamette River—meant that few people were familiar with or knew how to recognize it. This lack of awareness further hindered conservation efforts, as the chub was not widely recognized or prioritized. Lastly, dams created a problem for the Oregon chub as their habitat was significantly altered. The best situation for the Oregon chub would be if there were no dams historically and the habitat was never altered. However, that is not the case; dams change Willamette’s river flow by disrupting and regulating flow, sediment transport, and floodplain connectivity, thus affecting the chub’s habitat.
The main step in the restoration process is to take a small amount of chub from one pond's population and introduce it into a new area. Before Oregon Chubb is introduced into any area, it needs to be assessed to ensure the area is suitable for the survival of this species. Bangs said, “We'll go out and sample the pond. There'll be no fish in it, and the pond itself will be kind of barren. It's a hole with water in it.” Which isn't very livable for any species. This is where partnership and corroboration from landowners are really important. They take these barren areas and create these shallow vegetation areas most suitable for Oregon Chubb.
Oregon Chub Restoration Sites in Fall - Deanna Jacobs
Brian Bangs shared a restoration success story with us: this particular landowner called him up while building the pond so he could make it suitable from the beginning for this species. This process was done by putting benches in at certain heights through the pond to create suitable habitats for a variety of species at different stages in life. This created spawning areas for smaller chubs and habitat areas where larvae would spawn for feeding grounds. They put various vegetation in there for habitat. Once they added Oregon chub to these areas, they would notice that “suddenly an ecosystem builds around it because chub themselves are our food source for all kinds of things.” The best selling point for any local landowner who is thinking about adding Oregon Chub to their ponds is that they get rid of mosquitoes.
Once Oregon Chub comes, so does the rest of the wildlife. Oregon Chub is an essential food source for all species. Many landowners have seen empty environments become full of birds, turtles, and other wildlife once Oregon Chub is introduced in these areas. New species that weren't in the area before are coming due to the new food source in the area. Oregon Chub is a key species in changing the environment. These tactics of restoration efforts to bring back the Oregon Chub are also being used in efforts to help other endangered species such as the western pond turtles. Maintaining these ponds/off-channel habitats is being built to favor native species, so many species are protected in these areas, such as salmon that use these off-channel habitats as nurseries.
In the future, the current plans for the long-term management of Oregon Chub will become more relaxed as the population is in a sustainable state. All that is needed is monitoring population size to ensure they don't fall back to a concerned species. Matthew Collver, the lead for Oregon Chub at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, says the leading restoration where their primary efforts before 2023 were introduced, isolated pond habitats, and a previously done management tactic of “Chub to tubs.” Chub to tubs were used to take portions of previous populations and move them into other private and public ponds and wetland areas that can be suitable habitats for Oregon Chub. Many introduction efforts have slowed down through ODFW as the Oregon Chub population is delisted. However, efforts to introduce Oregon Chub are still being made with proper permits and assistance. ODFW has set up protocols to ensure that a database of the Oregon Chub population is still maintained.
The recovery of the Oregon chub is a success story for this once-endangered minnow has flourished and became the first fish species in the United States to be delisted under the Endangered Species Act. The efforts to save the chub show the interconnectedness of species and the broader impact of preserving even the smallest members of an ecosystem. Today, the Oregon Chub continues to play a role in maintaining a balanced environment in the Willamette Valley, showing how conservation efforts protect biodiversity and support a healthier ecosystem. Maintaining these partnerships and monitoring population health is essential to ensure the Oregon Chub continues to thrive.
Oregon Chub Flourishing Underwater in Restored Habitats - Brian Bangs
As part of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Science Communication course JCOM 410 Voices of the Valley