The Colorado River Cutthroat Trout

by Jeff Kessler

In addition to the Colorado River cutthroat trout, most cutthroat trout subspecies native to Wyoming and surrounding states are also in big trouble. The Greenback cutthroat trout, which was previously found mostly in Colorado streams but also in a few streams in southeast Wyoming, has been extirpated from Wyoming. The Bonneville cutthroat currently occupies only 3.7% of its historic stream miles. Genetically pure Yellowstone cutthroat can only be found in 10% of its historic range. And the Westslope cutthroat is genetically pure in only 2.5 percent of its native range.

Clearly, native trout in the West are fighting extinction. The Greenback is currently on the Endangered Species list, and the Yellowstone, Westslope and Bonneville cutthroat have all been petitioned for protection under the ESA. To restore these trout — the only native trout in the Rockies — will take a sincere commitment by public officials and citizens to rehabilitate damaged aquatic ecosystems, halt environmentally destructive activities and stop stocking non-natives in cutthroat streams.