1. National Park Service
Balancing Bonneville Cutthroat Trout with Non-native Salmonids in Great Basin National Park
Gretchen M. Baker, Neal W. Darby, Tod B. Williams

2. Great Basin National Park
10 perennial streams
6 streams in Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) habitat

3. BCT Background Lake Bonneville BCT Declines Highest extent Desiccation
Non-native fish
Logging
Grazing
Great Basin National Park

4. 1999 Park Fisheries Management Plan
Two-pronged approach
Balancing management
BCT Restoration
Recreational Fishing
1999 Park Fisheries Management Plan
Objectives

5. 2000 BCT Rangewide Conservation Agreement
Planning
2000 BCT Rangewide Conservation Agreement
Signed by states of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service
US Forest Service
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission
Support from Trout Unlimited and others

6. Methods-BCT Reintroduction
BCT Reintroduction Steps
Baseline surveys
Pre-treatment surveys
Treatment
Post-treatment effectiveness monitoring
BCT reintroduction
Post-reintroduction effectiveness monitoring

7. Fishing Streams Strawberry— BCT 2002
BCT Stream
Other Fish
Strawberry— BCT 2002
Mill Creek—remnant BCT population found
South Fork Baker—BCT 2005
Upper Snake Creek—BCT 2004
South Fork Big Wash—BCT 2000
Big Wash—BCT 2003
Pine & Ridge Creeks—pure BCT

8. Methods-Recreational Fishing
Monitoring
Volunteer recruitment
Inclusion in park planning

9. Results-BCT BCT in 17 miles of streams Good recruitment
Increase in size

10. South Fork Big Wash--2000

11. South Fork Big Wash--2002

12. South Fork Big Wash--2004

13. Results-BCT Strawberry Creek- 55% increase in BCT from 2003 to 2004
Macroinvertebrate recovery

14. Results-Recreational Fishing
Perception of no fish due to lack of stocking

15. Baker Population Surveys
Population increasing
Brown trout decreasing in size
Brook and rainbow trout increasing slightly
Year
Fish/mile
Method
2003
2527
3 pass, 100 m
1990
750*
1 pass, 500 ft
*1088/mile including recorded misses

16. Lehman Population Surveys
Population increasing
Size of fish fluctuating
Caught 9/2/04
340 mm (13 in)
Year
Fish/mile
Method
2004
2157
3 pass, 100 m
2003
2528
1990
449*
1 pass, 600 ft
1984**
1109^
1 pass, 100 ft
1952
163
not specified
*774 fish/mile including recorded misses
** Pop survey done 17 days after a plant of 749 fish; 41% of fish caught were planted based on fin wear characteristics;
^1373 fish/mile including recorded misses

17. Comparing BCT to non-natives
BCT density greater than other species

18. Results-Publicity
Brochure
Interviews
Articles

19. Other results
Volunteers
Thinning
Park planning
Fire rehab

20. Discussion Successful park project Politics Adaptive Management
Timetable

21. The Future Monitor non-native populations
Monitor/manage BCT populations
5-10 years, BCT sustainable fishery within park

22. Acknowledgements National Park Service Nevada Department of Wildlife
US Forest Service
BLM
Trout Unlimited

23. Macroinvertebrate Recovery
Decline of macroinvertebrate abundance one month following the antimycin treatment on Snake Creek and the rotenone treatment on Strawberry Creek.

24. Macroinvertebrate Recovery
Decline of macroinvertebrate taxa one month following the antimycin treatment on Snake Creek and the rotenone treatment on Strawberry Creek.