Lower Stehekin River cutthroat and rainbow trout spawning surveys: 2009-2011 summary report
Anthony HD and Glesne RS. 2012. Lower Stehekin River cutthroat and rainbow trout spawning surveys: 2009-2011 summary report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NOCA/NRTR—2012/594. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Chelan County Public Utilities District, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Forest Service and North Cascades National Park cooperatively manage fish populations within Lake Chelan and its tributaries in accordance with the Lake Chelan Fisheries Plan (Lake Chelan Fishery Plan 2007). The fish management goal under the Lake Chelan Fisheries Plan is to beneficially alter the abundance and composition of fish species in Lake Chelan through continuing efforts to restore and enhance native fisheries. From 2009 to 2011 National Park Service personnel conducted spawning surveys for Rainbow Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout in 12 established index reaches located within side channel habitat of the Stehekin River. The twelve index reaches were selected after assessing 13.7 km of side channel habitat for suitability for trout spawning. Suitable habitats were deemed to have substrate particle size of 2 – 50 mm (Shepard et al. 1984), flow of 30 – 100 cm3/sec, and an average depth of 30 – 60 cm (Quinn 2005). Three or four surveys were conducted each spring during the months of April, May and June and a total of 19 Rainbow Trout, and 13 Rainbow Trout redds were documented. No Westslope Cutthroat Trout or Westslope Cutthroat Trout redds were seen in any of these spring spawning surveys. In 2011 additional efforts to document Westslope Cutthroat Trout distribution included mainstem pool snorkeling, snorkel surveys in side channel habitat during summer months, and collection of DNA samples from trout fry. Westslope Cutthroat Trout were documented during July and August in mainstem pools and side channel habitat but were not observed spawning.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Anthony, Hugh; Glesne, Reed
- Date of Issue
- 2012-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- LACH , NOCA , NRSS
- Keywords
- adfluvial, alluvial barrier, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Fisheries Plan, Habitat, Hatchery, Hybridization, Hydroelectric Project, Lake Chelan, North Cascades National Park Complex, Rainbow Trout, reach, Redd, Snorkeling, Spawning, Stehekin River, Stocking, Survey, Westslope cutthroat trout
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Fishes