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Response of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Their Habitat to Drainage‐Wide Habitat Management at Huff Creek, Wyoming
Author(s) -
Binns N. Allen,
Remmick Ronald
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1994)014<0669:robcta>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - trout , habitat , fishery , environmental science , drainage , abundance (ecology) , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , biology
Beginning in 1978, in an effort to restore Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki utah , 68 instream habitat structures and 3,760 ft of rock riprap were installed in the Huff Creek (Wyoming) drainage, and livestock was controlled through exclosures and herding. Drainage‐wide cutthroat trout abundance and biomass peaked in 1984 at 456 trout/mi and 56 lb/acre. The largest population (1984; 685 trout/mi, 82 lb/acre) occurred at the site containing instream structures within an exclosure. By 1989, mean cutthroat trout numbers (170 trout/mi) were significantly higher ( P = 0.01) than in 1978 (35 trout/mi), despite severe drought in 1987–1989 and a 75–100 year flood in 1984. Drainage‐wide Habitat Quality Index scores were significantly higher and total cover was significantly greater in 1989 than in 1978, but bank stability was not significantly improved. However, banks armored with machine‐placed rocks became stable; in contrast, natural healing was slow where rocks were not used. Cutthroat trout abundance was correlated to the previous year's stream discharge, the quantity of cover, and pool area. Plunge pools created by instream structures were deeper than natural pools and greatly aided fishery rejuvenation.