Clackamas Bull
Trout Reintroduction Project
In the past, bull trout were abundant and widely distributed in the
Willamette Basin, including the Clackamas River. They were a
historical component of the river’s native fish assemblage that
evolved over thousands of years. Currently, bull trout are extirpated
from the Clackamas River Subbasin; there have been no documented sightings
of bull trout in the Clackamas River since 1963. The bull trout was
listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service in 1998. Efforts to recover the species
are underway, including restoring the species to areas from which
it has been lost.
Pinhead Creek – a suitable bull trout spawning and rearing
tributary
to the upper Clackamas River. View map of Clackamas River Subbasin
FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT
The 2002 draft Bull Trout Recovery Plan specified the need for completing
an assessment to determine the feasibility of reintroduction in the
Clackamas River Subbasin. Accordingly, the Clackamas River Bull
Trout Working Group (CRBTWG) has completed a feasibility assessment.
The feasibility assessment focuses on whether or not a reintroduction
is biologically possible. The feasibility assessment is not a decision
document, nor does it convey a decision to reintroduce bull trout
into the Clackamas River Subbasin. Should a proposal be developed
to reintroduce bull trout into the Clackamas River Subbasin, the responsible
federal and state agencies would initiate required rule-making and
decision-making processes. These processes would include opportunities
for public involvement as well as necessary environmental analysis
and regulatory compliances.
For further information, contact: Chris
Allen, biologist, Oregon
Fish and Wildlife Office, (503) 231-6179.
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