Although the current distribution of the Yaqui chub in Mexico is unknown, there are records that show that this species has been introduced and established in Leslie Creek, in the Swisshelm Mountains of Arizona in 1969.

[4] This fish can also be found in the San Bernardino (SBNWR) and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges of Cochise County in Arizona.

Yaqui chubs prefer living in deep pools of smaller streams with dense vegetation in the water; however, some individuals inhabit cleaner, open areas near the gravel bottoms that are covered with large amounts of algae.

However, there are still several threats present, including: increased aquifer pumping, reduction of flows in streams, predation of nonnative fishes, overgrazing, and successive erosion.

Protection of the San Bernardino aquifers, and observation of nonnative fishes near the chub stream must be taken into account in order for this species to continue to exist.

In 1980, the Nature Conservancy purchased the San Bernardino Ranch, and eight years later, bought Leslie Canyon, both of which harbor strong Yaqui chub populations.