Enumeration of the Bull Trout Spawning Run and Juvenile Abundance Estimates in Lynx Creek, a Tributary to the Kakwa River

Author(s)

John Tchir

Summary

The bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) spawning run in Lynx Creek, Alberta (5400 N, 1190 W) was monitored annually from 1995 to 2001. Adults were intercepted with an enumeration fence, a permanent sampling site located upstream of the enumeration fence for juvenile population monitoring was established. Variations in run magnitude ranged from a high of 134 in 1999 to a low of 21 in 1997, and juvenile abundance ranged from a low of 15 in 2001 to a high of 82 in 1996. Time series data collected have provided insight into the spawning and recruitment dynamics of the Kakwa River Bull Trout in a relatively undisturbed environment. In future years, intensifying monitoring to detect impacts due to development will be crucial in assuring viability of this population in the future.

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