CPW celebrates Jenn Logan as the recipient of the 2025 Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program’s Researcher of the Year Award

Rachael Gonzales
Northwest Region Public Information Officer
970-773-8587 / [email protected]
Twitter: @CPW_NW

CPW celebrates Jenn Logan as the recipient of the 2025 Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program’s Researcher of the Year Award

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program presents the Researcher of the Year Award each year to honor significant contributions to researching and understanding endangered fish species and their habitats within the Upper Colorado River Basin.

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is excited to announce that Assistant Native Aquatic Species Coordinator Jenn Logan was awarded the 2025 Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program’s Researcher of the Year Award. Logan has been instrumental in the recovery efforts of native aquatic species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and throughout Colorado for over 20 years. 

“I can’t think of a more deserving person to receive this award,” said Matt Nicholl, Assistant Director - Aquatic Wildlife Branch. “Her passion for Colorado’s native aquatic species has been felt not just in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River basins, but throughout Colorado and neighboring states. This passion has played a pivotal role in conserving and recovering endangered aquatic species for current and future generations.”

In 2001, Logan began her full-time career as Assistant Manager of the newly opened Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility (NASRF) in Alamosa with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife). At NASRF, Logan was responsible for helping to develop and implement procedures and processes for producing non-salmonid fish (along with boreal toads) for conservation and reintroduction, many of which had never been cultured before. During this time, the hatchery raised multiple fish species, including the critically endangered Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, bonytail and humpback chub. 

In 2006, Logan took the opportunity to return to the field as the agency’s first Native Aquatic Species Biologist. Based in the Northwest Region, she was responsible for overseeing native aquatic species in designated critical habitats within the state boundaries, which include the Yampa, White, Green, lower Gunnison and Colorado rivers. Although most of Logan's time was dedicated to saving federally listed fishes and the "three species" (flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and roundtail chub), she also made time to work on conservation efforts for other species, including the mountain sucker, sculpin, mountain whitefish, cutthroat trout and boreal toads.

Not only did Logan play an integral part in rearing native fish species during her time at NASRF, she has also been a key collaborator on non-native fish removal in the Yampa and Colorado rivers during her 16 years as the Northwest Region Native Aquatic Species Biologist. When smallmouth bass invaded the White River, Logan was instrumental in establishing a removal program, securing essential access from landowners and coordinating efforts among multiple agencies.

Today, Logan is the Native Aquatic Species Team Manager and leads a team of eight biologists and statewide coordinators. 

Although Logan's daily job duties have changed significantly over the past three years, she usually jumps at an opportunity to participate in a native fish project or survey whenever possible. In October of 2024, Logan had an opportunity to join Northwest Region and Grand Junction Area aquatic biologists during the annual native fish surveys on the Colorado River. During this survey, the team netted not one but three Colorado pikeminnow, just west of Palisade, within minutes of each other. This was an exciting day, as catching three of these remarkable fish within just a few minutes was a significant achievement and a testament to the work being done to restore this critically endangered fish. The last time this happened for CPW aquatic biologists was in 2021 during a similar survey run by Logan and other CPW aquatic biologists.

In her nomination, Harry Crockett, retired CPW native aquatic species coordinator, stated, “Jenn brings to the Recovery Programs an ever-pragmatic perspective grounded in an uncommon breadth of experience. Although her duties now extend beyond the Colorado Basin, her passion for Colorado’s native fishes is beyond question and will surely continue to benefit the Recovery Programs.” 

Read: Harry Crockett's full Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs’ Researcher of the Year nomination

This sentiment is shared by many at Colorado Parks and Wildlife and partner agencies, as Logan’s contributions to the Recovery Program over the years are too numerous to list. One thing is certain: Her dedication and willingness to tackle any challenge has and will continue to bring significant, potentially game-changing benefits for threatened, endangered and native fish species in various rivers across the state. 

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program presents the Researcher of the Year Award each year to honor significant contributions to researching and understanding endangered fish species and their habitats within the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Recovery Program is a collaborative effort involving local, state and federal agencies, as well as water and power interests and environmental groups. The goal of this partnership is to protect and recover endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin while also allowing for water development to continue in compliance with federal and state laws and interstate agreements.

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PHOTO CUTLINES:
IMAGE 1 and 2: Jenn Logan is holding a Colorado pikeminnow, a critically endangered fish, during a native fish survey on the White River.
IMAGE 3: Jenn Logan holds a flannelmouth sucker, one of the federally listed "three species" fish during a native fish survey on the Colorado River.