Monitoring of Great Basin Redband Trout 6 Year Pilot Study ODFW Native Fish Investigations Project

Motives  To address data gaps outlined in the Native Fish Status Review (ODFW 2005).  To assess the response of fish populations to changes in climatic conditions.  To provide better management for future fishing opportunities.  To write effective conservation plans for all Great Basin SMUs.

Objective To design and test a sample strategy capable of assessing status and trends of redband trout at the SMU and population scales.

Project Scope SMUs = Six interior basins of the Great Basin

Project Scope Populations = groups of fish potentially able to reproduce in the same place and same time.

Methods  Select sample sites throughout the potential distribution of redband trout using EMAP protocol. 30 sites in each of 8 populations. Each population sampled every 3 years. 30 sites in each of 8 populations. Each population sampled every 3 years. 30 sites in each SMU every year. 30 sites in each SMU every year.

Land Ownership of Great Basin Redband Trout Habitat

Methods  Conduct 2-pass removal density estimates at each site using electrofishing techniques.  Calibrate removal estimates by also conducting mark- recapture estimates at a portion of sites.  Collect stream habitat data at each site

Analysis  Generate estimates of redband trout parameters at SMU and populations scales using EMAP statistical algorithms. Abundance Abundance Distribution Distribution Size-age composition Size-age composition Degree of uncertainty Degree of uncertainty Time series trends Time series trends Fish-habitat relationships Fish-habitat relationships Effects of climate variation Effects of climate variation

Annual Budget USFWS – SFR$164,700 ODFW $20,000 Miscellaneous $10,000 Total$194,700