GREENBACK CUTTHROATS ARE REPRODUCING

Reintroduced Greenback Cutthroats are Reproducing

by Kyle Perkins

After more than a decade of strategic efforts, the greenback cutthroat trout is now reproducing in a remote area in Colorado, in part thanks to Trout Unlimited volunteers.

On a cool mid-September morning in 2015, I, along with other Colorado Trout Unlimited members and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) staff, met at a 10,000-foot elevation trailhead to venture into Herman Gulch, located in Arapaho National Forest in Colorado. We had gathered to begin a multi-year effort to restore a wild population of the Colorado state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout. Normally this is a hiking destination with a six-and-a-half-mile roundtrip hike to Herman Lake along the Continental Divide Trail, but we were there because the small stream that runs through the gulch was identified as a prime location for reintroduction by CPW.

The first major historical note on the greenback was that it was declared extinct in the 1930s. However, small populations were thought to be found in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, which led the species to be listed on the endangered list. Intensive efforts to reintroduce these fish were made in the 2000s, but those fish were eventually found to be more of a Colorado cutthroat ancestry. Then, in 2012, in a small stream in the Pikes Peak region named Bear Creek, a genetically pure strain of the greenback cutthroat was discovered.

The first step toward reintroducing the greenback to Herman Gulch was a trout salvage, as there was a strong population of other cutthroat trout reproducing there. Volunteers that day were allowed to fish the tiny creek and transport the fish back down the trail into adjacent upper Clear Creek. With buckets and oxygenated backpacks, we successfully transported approximately 100 trout that day. CPW returned two more times with electroshock equipment, and overall, successfully transported approximately 400 fish to their new downstream location. CPW then completed chemical removal of any remaining fish that had not been relocated.

In 2016, with the habitat cleared and ready for native trout, I returned with other Trout Unlimited volunteers to stock the first greenbacks into the stream. CPW provided fish from various state hatcheries and

transported them to the location via a specialized truck. Carrying large backpacks filled with youngerof-year greenback cutthroats, we ventured miles up the difficult trail. The first few miles of the Herman Gulch trail climbs at an extremely steep rate, but spirits were high, and the pace was fast. We reached the open area of the gulch where the trail evens out, and were assigned beats to release our fish. After letting the bags equalize with the cold temperatures of the stream, we watched as those young fish entered their new home. Approximately 4,000 hatchlings were transported and carefully introduced to the stream that day. While that reintroduction wasn’t deemed the most successful a year later, the total of five reintroductions over the course of four years apparently was.

In 2017, the reintroduction strategy changed. Instead of only hatchlings, we transported nearly 1,000 year-old fish and approximately 10,000 young-of-year fish. In 2018, we again transported about 900 year-old fish into the gulch. CPW continued to stock greenbacks into the stream for an additional year, and has conducted ongoing monitoring.

This September, CPW announced that their monitoring had documented continued growth of the fish – some reaching 12 inches – but most importantly they found successful reproduction of the greenback cutthroat in Herman Gulch for the first time. “Our team of field technicians literally high-fived right there in the stream when we captured that first fry that was spawned this year,” said Boyd Wright, CPW Aquatic Biologist. “When moments later we captured a one-year-old fish produced in 2021, we were truly beside ourselves. After many years of hard work and dedication, it is extremely satisfying to see our efforts paying off.”

I couldn’t tell you in words how satisfying being a part of this effort was, but today, we need to celebrate all the volunteers. This effort is only one example of how Trout Unlimited volunteers make a difference in native trout conservation in the state of Colorado and the nation. We, as an organization, couldn’t do these types of projects without your help. This is a project that all Trout Unlimited volunteers should be extremely proud of, so here’s a loud and appreciative standing ovation to all our volunteers. You are a part of something extremely remarkable that generations to come will cherish.

About The Author

Kyle Perkins is the Communications Coordinator of Colorado Trout Unlimited.