Minnow rescue under way as portions of Rio Grande dry up

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal water managers say they will be facing some difficult decisions as the worsening drought is significantly affecting flows on the Rio Grande. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their operating plan for the river Thursday. Officials say some of the lowest snowpack reports on record will leave managers with very little water and they will have to decide how and when to best move water for downstream users and for the Rio Grande silvery minnow. The tiny fish is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. More than 10 miles of the river have already dried in the Bosque del Apache area. The bureau is working with federal wildlife managers on fish rescues in the areas of the river that have dried.