The Survival and Growth of Adult Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) in Response to Different Movement Patterns in a Tributary of the Logan River, Utah

• Main Author: Randall, Jared W.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 2012
• Subjects: Environmental Sciences; Physical Sciences and Mathematics
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1396; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2411&context=etd

I evaluated movement patterns, survival and growth of adult Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii utah in two tributaries of the Logan River in Northern Utah. My objectives were to detect movement patterns and compare survival and growth rates among trout exhibiting different movement patterns. In this study area both resident and fluvial (migrating between tributaries and main-stem river) life history strategies were observed. Significant differences were found in seasonal movement as movement was highest during spring and fall. No significant difference in growth was present between resident and fluvial groups of fish or between fish exhibiting other movement patterns. Survival rates were lowest during the summer for fluvial individuals. My results support the findings that adult cutthroat trout can be mobile or sedentary and that fluvial strategies exist in a population. Management efforts should focus on protecting and enhancing connectivity between tributaries and mains-stem habitats.