Transcript Lessons 1-3

Bull Trout Recovery &
Watershed Restoration in the
Clark Fork River Basin
Bull Trout
Salvelinus confluentus
How to Identify Bull Trout
Juvenile Bull Trout
Bull Trout Life History Forms
• Fluvial- grow large in a river & migrate to
spawn in small stream
• Adfluvial- grow large in a lake or reservoir &
migrate to spawn in small stream
• Resident- spend entire life in one stream
• Anadromous- grow large in saltwater &
migrate to spawn in freshwater stream
Bull Trout Life Cycle
The Five Cs of Bull Trout
Habitat
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Cold
Clean
Complex
Connected
Comprehensive
Cold Water
• Bull Trout require colder water than
other native fish
• Ideal stream temperature is < 58
degrees F. and 48 degrees F. or lower
for spawning and rearing habitats
Clean Water
• Bull Trout Require Water Free of
Excessive Fine Sediment Loads
• Fine sediments < 6.35 mm should not
be more than 20% of the streambed
material in spawning areas
• Higher sediment levels severely reduce
fry emergence and reproductive
success
Complex Habitat
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Bull Trout stream habitat includes:
Deep pools
Riffles
Undercut banks & overhanging
vegetation
• Large woody debris & rocks in the
stream
Connected
• Bull Trout require habitat connectivity in
order to maintain the migratory life
history form and genetic variation
• Blockages to historic migrations must
be addressed including dams, water
diversions, thermal barriers & road
culverts
Comprehensive
• Recovery of Bull Trout will require a
comprehensive approach addressing
multiple major watersheds in the
Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest
• Restoring Bull Trout to some areas of
historically occupied habitat is
necessary
Indicator Species
• Because of their
unique habitat
needs and wide
range, Bull Trout
are known as an
“indicator species”
• Bull Trout are
monitored to track
the health of
watersheds and
water quality
A species with a wide range &
special habitat needs are also
called “umbrella species.”
By protecting them, hundreds of
other species with lesser needs can
also be protected under the habitat
“umbrella.”
END PART I
Current Status & Distribution
of Bull Trout
• Bull Trout were listed as a Threatened Species
under the federal Endangered Species Act in
1998
• Bull Trout distribution is now less than 50% of its
historic range and a fraction of its former
numbers
• Few genetically viable populations (> 1,000
adults) remain
Historic & Current
Bull Trout Distribution Area
Bull Trout Distribution & Core
Watersheds in Montana
Status of Bull Trout
Populations
• According to a survey of 102 Bull Trout populations in the
Columbia River Basin (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2003)• 13.7% were found to be extirpated
• 22.5% were declining
• 23.5% had an unknown trend but half are from
populations described as “rare” or “uncommon”
• 33.3% stable, but most are very small populations
• 5.9% were increasing
Annual Redd Counts are Used to Track
Bull Trout Populations
Bull Trout females
excavate a nesting
area with their tails
which is called a redd.
Biologists count these
redds each Fall to
track population
trends and spawning
success.
Bull Trout Viability
• A viable population is one that is large enough to
maintain the population’s genetic variation indefinitely
• Two leading experts, Dr. Bruce Rieman with the U.S.
Forest Service and Dr. Fred Allendorf with the
University of Montana, report a minimum of 1,000
adult Bull Trout (approximately 500 redds) each year
are necessary to ensure viability
• A viable population could be one population >1,000
adults, or 10 sub-populations of 100 adults that are
connected as a “meta-population” or any combination
that adds up to 1,000, so long as they are connected
Major Threats to Bull Trout
Survival & Recovery
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Dams
Improper Mining Practices
Improper Logging Practices
Improper Grazing Practices
Roads & Inadequate Culverts
Exotic Fish Species
Climate Change
Dams
• Block historic migrations
• Fragment bull trout populations into
genetically non-viable units
Improper Mining
• Improper mining practices can damage water
quality by introducing heavy metals into the
streams
• Inadequate cleanup can result in continuous
degradation of water quality
Improper Logging Practices
• Increases fine sediment loads in streams
• Removes shade and damages riparian areas
Improper Grazing Practices
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Damages water quality byTrampling banks
Removing riparian vegetation
Widening streams and reducing the depth
Leads to increases in water temperatures
Can divert water so that native fish do not
have adequate water flows
Roads & Inadequate Culverts
Non-Native Fish
• Can directly predate on bull trout and
other native fish
• Can out-compete bull trout for habitat
and food
• Non-native brook trout can interbreed
with bull trout, creating sterile offspring
Homesite Development
END PART II
Bull Trout Recovery
• Recovery is defined under the
Endangered Species Act as “the use of all
methods and procedures which are necessary to
bring any endangered species or threatened
species to the point at which the measures
provided under this Act are no longer necessary.“
Watershed Restoration:
The 3 Rs
• Remediation
• Restoration
• Redevelopment
Recovery & Restoration Actions
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Identify Important Habitat
Identify Specific Problems
Prioritize Recovery Actions
Implement Recovery Actions
Critical Habitat
• The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed designation of
critical habitat for Bull Trout
• Critical habitat is defined as “the specific area within the
geographical area occupied by a species… on which are found those
biological features
• (I) essential to the conservation of the species and
• (II) which may require special management considerations or
protection: and (ii) specific areas outside the geographical area
occupied by a species…upon a determination that such areas are
essential for the conservation of the species.
Cleanup of Mining Wastes
Historic Project to Remove
Milltown Dam
Blackfoot River
Remove
Milltown Dam
Build a temporary bypass channel
for the Clark Fork River
Remove
contaminated
sediments
Clark Fork River
REMEDIATION
Roads
Flood Berm
Bypass Channel
Sediment Stockpiling
& Removal
Diversion Dike
Spillway removal
Powerhouse removal
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Fish Passage
• Fish passage allows Bull trout and other
native fish to migrate to natal spawning
grounds
• Re-connects genetically isolated
subpopulations
• Can be accomplished through complete
dam removal or by constructing a
passage facility
Restoring Riparian Areas
• Planting Native Vegetation
• Fencing Cattle Out of Riparian Areas
Before & After Culvert Repair
Fish Screens Save Native Fish
Negotiate In-Stream Flows For Native Trout
Creating Pool Habitat by Putting Large
Woody Debris in the Stream
Education is the Key to
Watershed Restoration
Clean Water Supports Many Uses
and Native Plants & Wildlife
Important Links to Websites on
Bull Trout & Watershed Restoration
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www.cfwep.org
www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout/
http://fwp.mt.gov/education/fishingeducation/
www.streamnet.org/
Special Thanks to the Agencies & Individuals
Who Provided Graphic Images
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Ladd Knotek, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Montana Dept. of Justice, Natural Resource Damage Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Forest Service
Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
Joseph Tomelleri
Mark Alan Wilson
Peter Metcalf
This Program Was Designed & Produced for
the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
by:
Bader Consulting, Missoula, Montana
406.721.4835; [email protected]
© 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Do Not Duplicate Without Permission