In case you missed it, California’s native Paiute cutthroat trout, the rarest trout in North America, swims once again in its High Sierra home waters for the first time in more than 100 years thanks to the latest efforts led by our partners at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Paiute Cutthroat trout are native only to Silver King Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Carson River. Many introductions of Paiute cutthroat have been attempted outside the species native range over the last six decades, though only a few have self-sustaining populations.
In our collaborative report with UC Davis, the SOS II: Fish in Hot Water Scientific Report, Paiute cutthroat trout have a high likelihood of local extinction in their native range within 50-100 years without a continued commitment to intense monitoring and management.
It’s encouraging to see hope for this species on the edge. We focus on creating fish abundance, but we also recognize the importance of preventing extinction. Our work in Southern California on endangered southern steelhead and our work in the Shasta Valley with a very small population of coho salmon are good examples of us working to hold the line and prevent these unique fish from disappearing.
The latest introduction is a reason to celebrate this remarkable success story of bringing these fish back home to their native habitat. Success stories like these are a driving motivation behind our mission to ensure resilient wild fish become abundant in their native lands once again. We congratulate our friends at CDFW on a job well done and look forward to continuing working with them to bring native fish back home where they belong.
Sincerely,
Thank you for your interest in the Eel River Forum! We looking forward to sharing meeting updates and other info from the Eel River watershed with you as they develop.
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Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! We looking forward to sharing project updates, news, and stories with you from the Big Chico Creek watershed as they develop.
Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! One of our staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
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Thank you for your interest in the Elk River! One of our North Coast Region staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.