Spawning Ecology and Early Life-history of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT) in Northern Utah
Location
ECC 216
Event Website
https://water.usu.edu/
Start Date
3-31-2008 6:55 PM
End Date
3-31-2008 7:00 PM
Description
The Logan River, in northern Utah, is home to one of the largest remaining metapopulations of imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) throughout the Bonneville Basin. Given the importance of the reproductive stage to overall persistence, there is a need to better understand the spawning ecology and early life history stages of these fish. Spawn Creek is a 2nd-order tributary to the Logan River and is anecdotally known as an important spawning area for BCT. In 2007 spawning surveys were conducted in Spawn Creek to document the timing, spatial distribution, and minimum number of redds and adult BCT. A total of 113 unique redds were identified with peak spawning occurring on the descending limb of the hydrograph, between May 5 and May 25. We also completed a pilot study of spawning surveys throughout the Logan River. These surveys revealed that the spatial distribution of BCT spawning is far more widespread than originally thought: spawning encompassed more than 25 rkm for a total of approximately 870 redds. In addition, we observed noticeable differences in the density of BCT redds among sites; for example, in Little Bear Creek and Temple Fork, we counted a high density of redds at 98 and 130 redds per km, respectively. In contrast, in Cottonwood Creek and Franklin Basin we counted only 24 and 54 redds per km, respectively. We will use these data to select index sites for intensive future studies of spawning ecology, spawning habitat and egg-to-fry survival; the sites will be chosen to capture the range of spawning habitat used, within a paired study design of high and low density areas generally paired by similar geology and physical stream characteristics. Future conservation efforts for BCT must address potential limiting factors, as related to spawning, to the persistence of BCT throughout the Logan River.
Spawning Ecology and Early Life-history of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT) in Northern Utah
ECC 216
The Logan River, in northern Utah, is home to one of the largest remaining metapopulations of imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) throughout the Bonneville Basin. Given the importance of the reproductive stage to overall persistence, there is a need to better understand the spawning ecology and early life history stages of these fish. Spawn Creek is a 2nd-order tributary to the Logan River and is anecdotally known as an important spawning area for BCT. In 2007 spawning surveys were conducted in Spawn Creek to document the timing, spatial distribution, and minimum number of redds and adult BCT. A total of 113 unique redds were identified with peak spawning occurring on the descending limb of the hydrograph, between May 5 and May 25. We also completed a pilot study of spawning surveys throughout the Logan River. These surveys revealed that the spatial distribution of BCT spawning is far more widespread than originally thought: spawning encompassed more than 25 rkm for a total of approximately 870 redds. In addition, we observed noticeable differences in the density of BCT redds among sites; for example, in Little Bear Creek and Temple Fork, we counted a high density of redds at 98 and 130 redds per km, respectively. In contrast, in Cottonwood Creek and Franklin Basin we counted only 24 and 54 redds per km, respectively. We will use these data to select index sites for intensive future studies of spawning ecology, spawning habitat and egg-to-fry survival; the sites will be chosen to capture the range of spawning habitat used, within a paired study design of high and low density areas generally paired by similar geology and physical stream characteristics. Future conservation efforts for BCT must address potential limiting factors, as related to spawning, to the persistence of BCT throughout the Logan River.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2008/Posters/6