Sacramento-The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today that it has completed a status review on the Eagle Lake rainbow trout and determined that the fish does not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) at this time.
The Eagle Lake rainbow trout is a subspecies of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aquilarum) found only in the highly alkaline Eagle Lake and its main tributary, Pine Creek, in California. Past impacts from improper land management, introduction of non-native fishes, over-harvesting and water diversions from the lake during the late 1800s and the early 1900s resulted in the degradation of habitat within the Pine Creek watershed and a declining Eagle Lake rainbow trout population. In addition, passage barriers were constructed in the 1950’s as part of a hatchery program. The barriers were intended to prevent spawning migration, protect the fish from being stranded in the creeks by insufficient flows and to assist in the collection of fish for the hatchery program.
After a thorough evaluation of the best scientific and commercial information, the Service concluded that the stressors that currently may be impacting the Eagle Lake rainbow trout population, including grazing, roads, fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage barriers, recreational fishing, predation from and competition with brook trout, disease and climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change do not pose significant threats to its long-term survival. As part of the evaluation, the Service also considered and evaluated conservation efforts that have been implemented and shown to be effective in reducing the effects of the stressors on the Eagle Lake rainbow trout.
The Coordinated Resource Management Planning (CRMP) group was formed in 1987 to identify goals and implement a course of action for habitat and ecosystem restoration for Pine Creek. The CRMP membership includes the U.S. Forest Service (FS), the University of California Cooperative Extension for Lassen County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and local landowners and interested parties. Since 1989, the CRMP has completed numerous successful restoration actions to improve habitat conditions and re-establish natural populations and spawning runs of Eagle Lake rainbow trout within the Pine Creek watershed. Implemented restoration actions have included, among other things, replacing culverts to increase fish passage and improving grazing practices. A fishway was installed around the fish trap in 2012 and subsequent passage studies in 2013 indicated that this is no longer a barrier to spawning migration.
In 2015, a Conservation Agreement and Conservation Strategy were developed as a collaborative and cooperative effort among the Service, CDFW and the FS as a framework for conservation and protection of the Eagle Lake rainbow trout.
The finding on the Eagle Lake rainbow trout will be published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2016. An advance copy of the notice is on public view at the Federal Register today. The document will be posted tomorrow on Regulations.gov. In the search box, type in Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2012–0072.
The not warranted determination (known as a 12-month finding) represents a compelling example of American conservation and demonstrates how the ESA inspires collaboration between federal and state agencies, private companies, conservation organizations and individual landowners.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/cno. Connect with our Facebook page, follow our tweets, watch our YouTube Channel, and download photos from our Flickr page.
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