Colorado River cutthroat trout
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The Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus) is a subspecies of trout native only to the Green and Colorado River basins, which are west of the Continental Divide. Cutthroat trout found in other river basins belong to other subspecies.
In the past, this subspecies was found throughout portions of the Colorado River drainage in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. However, today scientists believe this fish occupies less than 1% of its historic range.
Colorado River cutthroats are thought to have occupied the basin of upper Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Little Snake River (which ultimately flows into the Colorado River) in southern Carbon County, Wyoming. Historical accounts in letters and diaries refer to them as "mountain trout" or "speckled trout." The fish may have begun to disappear from the upper Muddy Creek in the 1850s as a result of physical changes made to the environment by travellers, the introduction of the brook trout and other species, and possibly the over-trapping of beavers, which affected dams and dependent habitats.
The Rawlins Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming is attempting to reintroduce the Colorado River cutthroat into the Little Snake River basin. This plan includes improving stream habitat and removing non-native species.
References
- "[Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus]". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 5 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
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