Risk-based monitoring and recovery of bull trout.

Project Title: Risk-based monitoring and recovery of bull trout (Muhlfeld)

The primary goal of this project is to assist Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in assessing the growth and surival of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the upper Flathead River system. Specifically, this project will estimate stage-specific survival of migratory populations, and use this information to evaluate the potential impacts of various land and water use practices (dam operations, mining, timber extraction etc.) and interactions with nonnative salmonids (competition and predation) on population growth. Refined population models will be used to make management recommendations, e.g. river flows out of Hungry Horse dam, necessary for bull trout population viability. Furthermore, the USGS and MSU (Department of Ecology) will explore spatially explicit models that include environmental covariates and time-specific covariates such as stream and river flows (i.e., dam operations) and temperatures. Flathead-specific population models will allow managers to evaluate all recovery actions, management protocols, or basin developments in terms of consistent, biologically relevant criteria.

For more information contact:
Clint Muhlfeld
406-888-7926
cmuhlfeld@usgs.gov