1. Dan Dauwalter, Jack Williams, and Warren Colyer
Preparing trout for a warmer world through stream, riparian and watershed restoration
Dan Dauwalter, Jack Williams, and Warren Colyer

2. July was the HOTTEST month ever recorded on Earth!
2016 on pace to be the warmest year ever (sound familiar? 2015
was previous record)
Land and ocean temperatures
Glacier loss in Glacier National Park, MT
2016 on pace to be warmest year ever
NOAA

3. Global Temperatures
Global temperatures continue to rise along with CO2
United States is not immune
Temperature (and CO2) trending upwards. All projections point to higher temperatures in our future. US is not immune. Donald Trump can build a wall to keep temperatures out if he is next President

4. Future Climate Models Predict Warming Temperatures
MPI ECHAM5
GENMOM
GFDL CM2.0
PNW, it’s getting warmer regardless of which model you look at.
Hostetler 2011

5. Reduced Snowpack, Lower Streamflows, and Larger Wildfires
Changes in snowpack
Changes in streamflows
Changes in snowmelt and fire
Earlier snowmelt has lead to more frequent and larger wildfires, and streamflows are becoming lower during low-flow years.
Mote and Sharp 2015 Bull. Am.Met.Soc.
Luce and Holden 2009 Geo. Phys. Let.
Westerling et al Science

6. State of the Trout: Most Species Occupy Small Portion of Historical Habitat
Bonneville cutthroat trout (O. clarkii utah)
Apache trout (O. apache)
Gila trout (O. gilae)
The cutthroat trout is one of the most widespread and diverse species of trout native to western North America. This map shows the fraction of historical habitat currently occupied by each sub-species. This current status is mostly due to impacts other than climate, so what might climate change do to the remnants of these species?
Haak and Williams 2013 J. Cons. Planning

7. Climate Change and Western Trout
Current
~50% decline in cutthroat trout habitat by 2080s
2040s
2080s
All expected to decline, and cutthroat habitat expected to decline by ~50%...partially offset by decline in brook trout (often outcompetes cutthroat).
Wenger et al Proc. Nat’l Acad. Sci.

8. Climate Adaptation Strategies
TU – Science publication in Fisheries magazine (AFS)
Upshot: What’s good for streams is generally good for climate resiliency (floods, drought, fire)
Stream, riparian, and watershed restoration
Williams et al Fisheries

9. Climate Adaptation Strategies
What’s good for streams is generally good for climate resiliency (floods, drought, fire)
Williams et al Fisheries

10. Stream Channel Restoration – Crow Creek (ID, WY)
Williams et al Fisheries

11. Riparian Restoration – Owyhees (ID, NV, OR)
Woody riparian plants
Shade, habitat, prey subsidies
Dauwalter et al TAFS

12. Riparian Restoration – Owyhees (ID, NV, OR)
Dauwalter et al TAFS

13. Watershed Restoration – Maggie Creek (NV)
Lahontan cutthroat trout (ESA threatened)
1993 – Maggie Creek Watershed Restoration Project
Limit hot season grazing
Riparian exclosures
Water infrastructure
Riparian plantings
Culvert removal (2005)
Neville et al TAFS

14. Watershed Restoration – Maggie Creek (NV)
Increase in riparian vegetation
Water table: ↑0.6m
1980
2011
Neville et al TAFS

15. Watershed Restoration – Maggie Creek (NV)
Lahontan cutthroat monitoring
44 sites
Initiated in 2001
Using genetics to understand trout movement
Neville et al TAFS

16. Watershed Restoration – Maggie Creek (NV)
Age-1+ LCT density
Lahontan cutthroat trout abundance was
3-times higher after complete barriers were removed.
3-fold decrease
Neville et al TAFS

17. Watershed Restoration – Maggie Creek (NV)
Genetic data showed that removing barriers increased the movement of LCT among Maggie Creek tributaries
Culverts replaced (2005)
Neville et al TAFS

18. Opportunity → Climate-Smart Planning
Channel, riparian, and watershed restoration is generally good for climate adaptation and resiliency
BUT, we need to be smarter in terms of WHERE we do restoration!

19. Opportunity → Climate-Smart Planning
Climate shield (refuges for bull and cutthroat trout)
Diverse portfolios for native trout
Increase in riparian vegetation
Water table ↑0.6m
Bonneville cutthroat trout
Isaak et al Climate Change
Haak and Williams 2012 NAJFM

20. Opportunity → Climate-Smart Planning
Many tools exist to help determine WHERE are the best places to do restoration GIVEN the projected changes in climate in different places.

21. Sustain for generations
Youth education
High school kids planting riparian plants on abandoned mine lands in Idaho.

22. Thank you!