The dam eventually was built, with snail darters collected and transplanted into other rivers. They were also later discovered in several additional streams.

Snail darters went from being considered an endangered species to a threatened species in 1984. Three years ago, the Center for Biological Diversity, Jim Williams and Zygmunt Plater petitioned to remove the fish from federal protection altogether. Williams is the biologist who listed the snail darter as endangered. Plater is the attorney who sued to protect it.