A facility designed by FishPro of Port Orchard, which provides a sanctuary for the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, received the first place Award of Excellence from the Association of Conservation Engineers (ACE) in a recent ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina.

The facility, called a refugium, was built to help protect the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow from extinction. When the fish are mature enough to survive on their own, they will be reintroduced into the wild.

“The idea of this facility, the first of its kind ever constructed, is to simulate the middle Rio Grande habitat of the minnow,” said Ken Ferjancic, FishPro vice president. “This award not only signifies the hard work that was put into the project, but draws positive attention to efforts to ensure the minnow’s survival.”

FishPro, a division of HDR, is one of the nation’s premier providers of fisheries and aquatic resource engineering services. It has offices in Port Orchard, Portland, Ore. and Santa Fe, New Mexico.