Conservation Target : Wild Trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) Management Goal: Restore populations of wild brook trout. Biological Conditions Contributed Service
Conservation Strategies
Future Provisioning, Regulating, Economic, Cultural
Unknown density/health
Inventory
History and Adaptive Process: Brook trout ( ᎠᏧᏗ ) are the only native salmonid found within EBCI watersheds. General fisheries inventory efforts were initiated in the 1970s (only summary data available) that identified the presence of brook trout in 16 streams. Today, allopatric populations inhabit a limited number of headwater streams on EBCI lands in Jackson and Swain Counties. Typically, this species inhabits cold-water streams that have excellent water quality and low levels of siltation. This makes them great indicators of water quality. Declines of these fish warrant conservation efforts and restoration initiatives.
MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
Current Methodology for Conservation Strategies Inventory:
Assess and prioritize population restoration opportunities through the use of existing barriers, construction of artificial barriers, and physical or chemical removal of non- native trout. Assess and prioritize habitat restoration opportunities including riparian habitat enhancement, remediating aquatic organisms passage issues, and reducing non-point source pollution threats.
Results and Discussion for Information Transfer and Processing No results/discussion currently for this project.
Adaptive Decision for 2023
Management or Methodological Changes: Work with external partners to coordinate future trout work. Update mapping of trout distribution in shapefiles. Partners: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
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