Elk River Westslope Cutthroat Trout Research Initiative: 2019 Report
Download: fri_phase_1_2019_report_report___apps_compressed-1.pdf
The Elk River and its tributaries have some of the most diverse and pristine landscapes within the Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) range and are recognized as a stronghold for the species. There is limited information on WCT population estimates in the Elk River Watershed as direct monitoring of the fish populations in the Elk River has not been accomplished, and accurate population estimates do not exist.
Building a long-term database of redd surveys offers an alternative method to track population changes over time. As a publicly available redd database for the Elk River catchment was nonexistent, this project's redd surveys were considered a ‘good start’. Redd surveys are considered a strong indicator of WCT habitat utilization for spawning, with spawning for WCT often occurring in the tail out of deep pools, triggered by the descending limb of the hydrograph in the spring. Previous research found that WCT spawns mostly in the mainstem of the Elk River but also in perennial, ephemeral, and off-channel tributaries. The Elk River Alliance carried out redd surveys in the spring freshet throughout four (4) tributaries of the Elk River: Lizard Creek, Morrissey Creek, Coal Creek, and Forsyth Creek, to develop a basis for long-term monitoring of redd distribution in these streams. The first two streams (Lizard Creek and Morrissey Creek) were selected as local knowledge indicated spawning occurring, while evidence was limited on spawning happening in Coal Creek and Forsyth Creek. ERA was able to identify 62 Westslope Cutthroat Trout redds. Lizard Creek had the highest number of redds of the sections of tributaries surveyed compared to Morrissey Creek, Coal Creek, and Forsyth Creek. The build-up and maintenance of a comprehensive and up-to-date database on redd surveys in the Elk River Watershed will require ongoing future effort. It is important to note that any database containing redd locations should not be made publicly available but exist for WCT monitoring and management purposes, with location data made available to those requiring access in a professional capacity only.
Resource metadata
| Field | Value |
| Data last updated | June 27, 2022 |
| Metadata last updated | February 12, 2024 |
| Created | June 27, 2022 |
| Format | |
| License | CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0 |
| Data collection info | Redd Surveys were conducted from May to November 2019. |
| Data processing | N/A |
| Data type | non-lab |
| Has views | True |
| Id | e5676166-f731-468b-9ea3-08a1fdfd6311 |
| Mimetype | application/pdf |
| On same domain | True |
| Package id | 332a3d72-842a-4986-8ee7-65a9b6570811 |
| Position | 1 |
| Resource citation | Elk River Alliance. (2019). Elk River Westslope Cutthroat Trout Research Initiative: 2019 Report. Columbia Basin Water Hub. |
| Resource data disclaimer | No warranty or guarantee exists that the information is accurate, complete, current, or suitable for any purpose. The individual user must confirm the accuracy of the data and whether it will be appropriate for their purpose themselves. |
| Resource location | Elk River Watershed. |
| Size | 7.5 MiB |
| State | active |
| Url type | upload |
| Waterhub certified | Certified |
| Waterhub grade | Not Reviewed |
| upload | |
| Citation (Required) | Elk River Alliance. (2019). Elk River Westslope Cutthroat Trout Research Initiative: 2019 Report. Columbia Basin Water Hub. |
| Resource Location | Elk River Watershed. |
| Data Collection Information | Redd Surveys were conducted from May to November 2019. |
| Data Processing | N/A |
| Data Disclaimer | No warranty or guarantee exists that the information is accurate, complete, current, or suitable for any purpose. The individual user must confirm the accuracy of the data and whether it will be appropriate for their purpose themselves. |
| Water Hub Data Grade | Not Reviewed |
| Date of Most Recent Water Hub QA/QC | |
| Loading Status | |
| Datastore Status | |
| Data type | General |
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