Where Have All the Native Trout Gone?

Whether it's an Oldman River cutthroat or a Kakwa River bull trout, people love fishing for native trout. Unfortunately, three species of Alberta’s native trout have disappeared from much of their historic range. The Athabasca rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, and bull trout share many of the same threats. Most notably, habitat degradation and fragmentation, competition with non-native fish species, and hooking mortality have all significantly impacted the distribution and abundance of these species.

As a member of the Native Trout Collaborative, a coalition of conservation organizations and the Government of Alberta, Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) has been working on restoring native trout habitat, increasing sustainable native trout populations, and assessing the success of past remediation projects. Part of the project is sourcing Westslope cutthroat trout populations to develop a breeding stock to help conserve their population in the future. We are also identifying suitable habitats where these trout can populate in the Oldman River watershed, as well as the Bow River watershed.

ACA is also exploring the use of drones fitted with thermal imaging cameras to seek out areas of groundwater upwelling in streams for identification of native trout spawning habitat. We continue to work with our partners to improve fish habitat and remediate point source sediment inputs. With millions of dollars being invested in native trout recovery work, evaluation of project success is crucial. We are using our decades of experience assessing fish populations and habitats in the Eastern Slopes to prioritize and evaluate recovery projects. Focal areas for our native trout work include the Bow, Clearwater, McLeod, and Oldman River watersheds.

Projects

• Native Trout Conservation Stocking
• Native Trout Habitat Recovery
• Native Trout Recovery Evaluation
• West-Central Culvert Remediation