Q: Does this westslope cutthroat trout proposal mean that FWP fish managers have given up on rainbow trout in the Madison River? A: No. FWP is currently looking into other rainbow enhancement opportunities on the Madison River. For instance, in the "slide area" below Quake Lake, rainbow trout appear to be surviving well. FWP intends to establish a research site below Quake Lake to determine if there are some possible clues for rainbow survival in other Madison River locales in both the upper and lower drainage. Q: Will this project replace the Madison River’s lost rainbow trout numbers with cutthroat trout? A: While biologists are not expecting to see a one-for-one replacement of rainbow trout with cutthroat trout, they do expect a partial replacement. FWP researchers surmise that the proposed recovery plan could produce a Madison River fishery composed of brown trout, westslope cutthroat trout, and rainbow trout that manage to survive whirling disease infection. The Madison could become a tri-level wild trout fishery, where brown trout would continue to hold their own and perhaps expand, while the westslope cutthroat trout would fill part of the niche left by the rainbow-trout decline. It is doubtful that the rainbow trout will recover its former numbers in the Madison River in the near future. Q: If rainbow trout managed to stage a comeback in the upper Madison River, would they eventually out compete westslope cutthroat trout? A: Yes. However, biologist believe that the current population of about 300 rainbow trout per mile could increase considerably without negatively affecting an associated westslope cutthroat trout population. With whirling disease present in the upper Madison River, biologist believe this is an unlikely scenario. Q. Are westslope cutthroat trout native to the Madison River? A: Yes. In fact, prior to 1920 the Madison River supported wild, native fish populations of westslope cutthroat trout, grayling, and mountain whitefish. By 1930, however, introduced rainbow trout and brown trout were well established in the Madison River. Q: How large will these westslope cutthroat trout grow to be in the Madison River? A: Westslope cutthroat trout have growth rates comparable to rainbow trout. Anglers could expect to see 16- to 18-inch cutthroat trout in the Madison River by the year 2000. Researchers are already seeing cutthroat trout of this size in the river. Q: Will westslope cutthroat trout fishery produce a catch rate comparable to Madison rainbow trout? A: We believe it could because: (1) cutts are generally easier to catch than rainbows so, one-for-one, a cutthroat trout should produce a better catch rate than a rainbow trout; and (2) Madison River catch-and-release studies show about a 15 percent mortality on released rainbow trout. The release mortality on cutthroat trout studied on other streams is less than 5 percent. This suggests, as far as catch-and-release anglers are concerned, that the Madison could support fewer cutthroat per mile than it did rainbow trout and yet still produce a very respectable sport fishery Q: Does FWP intend to restore all 30 streams it has identified as potential candidates for westslope cutthroat trout restoration? A: Not necessarily. The streams have been identified as potential candidates for restoration. Each stream will undergo extensive examinations and surveys to determine if they are truly capable of supporting wild populations of westslope cutthroat trout. Soap Creek, Gazelle Creek, Standard Creek, and an unnamed spring creek have been initially identified as candidates for restoration in 1997. FWP hopes to complete a total of at least 10 streams by 2001. Other prime candidate streams will be surveyed and subsequently accepted or rejected for restoration based on their ability to support westslope cutthroat trout. Most projects will be evaluated in an environmental assessment. Q: What will this project cost? A: Costs are projected at $216,000 for 1997-98, and about $200,000 for each of the following two years. These costs are projected for recovery efforts on Soap, Gazelle, Standard Creek, and the nearby spring creek. Q: The project calls for stocking of genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout. Where will these fish be found? A: FWP maintains a brood stock of wild westslope cutthroat trout at its hatchery in Anaconda. Wild westslope cutts may also be spawned from nearby "donor" populations. Q: Why does this proposal focus on the upper Madison River drainage? A: Most of the headwater portions of the upper river’s tributaries appear to provide ideal cutthroat trout habitat and most of the streams are still connected to the mainstem river. Montanans have an opportunity to not only reestablish the westslope cutthroat trout to its native range, but to recruit these native, wild fish to the Madison River to fill a portion of the niche left by the decline in rainbow trout caused by whirling disease. Q: How many upper Madison River headwater tributaries still hold westslope cutthroat trout? A: Of the 30 tributaries identified as potential candidates for westslope cutthroat trout restoration, only one stream--Soap Creek--has been confirmed to still hold a limited population of westslope cutthroat trout. A second stream, Horse Creek, which flows in the Madison about a mile below Palisades, is suspected to support a small population of westslope cutts. Q: Is this worth the effort? A: We believe it is for several reasons: (1) The westslope cutthroat trout--Montana’s state fish--is a "species of special concern" in Montana where it is found in less than 10 percent of its historic range. Westslope are an important part of Montana history, and culture, and outdoor heritage. They evolved as aggressive feeders, a necessary adaptation for a species native to the cold, pristine and relatively unproductive waters of Montana. FWP is taking positive steps to preserve and expand the habitat and the populations of our state fish to keep the management of westslope cutts in Montana’s hands, and to keep the fish off of the Endangered Species list. (2) Whirling disease has caused a 90 percent decline in the Madison River’s rainbow trout population. While a resistant strain of rainbow trout may yet be discovered, FWP biologists believe the westslope cutthroat trout’s natural lifesycle may allow these fish to simply avoid being infected at critical early ages when they are most vulnerable to whirling disease. (3) While researchers doubt that the rainbow trout population will recover to pre-1991 numbers, biologists are already picking up increased numbers of catchable cutthroat trout in the upper Madison River, fish likely recruited from headwater tributaries. Q: How many westslope cutthroat trout per mile is this project expected to produce? A: While such projections are impossible to make at this point, we would anticipate that as more tributaries along the upper Madison produce westslope cutts, the river’s westslope cutthroat trout population would improve accordingly. Q: What is a westslope cutthroat trout? A: The westslope cutthroat is one of a dozen subspecies of cutthroat trout found in the Columbia and Missouri drainage and the Rocky Mountains. The scientific name for westslope cutthroat trout is Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi . The North American trout share the genus name Oncorhynchus with the Pacific salmon. The species ( clarki ) and subspecies ( lewisi ) names for westslope are a reminder of the great explorers Lewis and Clark, the first Europeans to describe the subspecies. Q: Are westslope cutthroat trout threatened or endangered? A: No. Westslope cutthroat trout are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are considered a "species of special concern" by the state of Montana. One reason for the state taking a proactive role in westslope cutthroat trout management is to ensure that it will not be necessary to list westslope cutthroat as threatened or endangered. Q: Where are westslope cutthroat trout found? A: Historically, westslope cutthroat were found in the Missouri River upstream of Fort Benton as well as its tributaries including the Judith, Milk and Marias rivers. West of the Continental Divide they were found in the Clark Fork and Kootenai river drainage in Montana and extending downstream into Alberta, Idaho and the extreme eastern portion of Washington. By far the majority of their historic distribution is in Montana. Today, the range of westslope cutthroat trout is greatly reduced. They are found in less than 5 percent of their historic range in the Missouri River drainage. While they are faring better west of the Divide, they still inhabit less than 10 percent of their historic range. In most waters where they are found, it is believed their numbers are reduced from historic population levels. Q: What has caused the decline of westslope cutthroat trout? A: It is difficult to generalize about what has caused the decline of Montana’s state fish. Several factors are believed to have contributed to its decline. The introduction of non-native fish, such as rainbow, brown, and brook trout is a significant factor. Rainbow trout hybridize with cutthroat trout and produce fertile offspring, which exacerbates the loss of the cutthroat species with replacement by hybrids. Brown trout have commonly displaced cutthroat in larger rivers and brook trout have become the most common small-stream trout. Because cutthroat trout are comparatively easy to catch, over-fishing has played a role in the species decline. But, perhaps most damaging to the fish has been habitat alterations caused by a variety of human activities that have changed the character of many streams. These changes combined with the competition from non-native trout are believed to be the major causes of the decline of westslope cutthroat trout. Q: Where are westslope cutthroat currently found? A: There are a few small populations still found in the Missouri River drainage, but there are not any strong populations found east of the Continental Divide. West of the Continental Divide, the strongest population is still found in the South Fork of the Flathead. There are other populations found scattered throughout the Clark Fork and Kootenai river drainages. Q: Why should Montanans be concerned about westslope cutthroat trout? A: As their scientific name indicates, westslope are an important part of Montana history and culture. Westslope are a great sportfish. They evolved as aggressive feeders, a necessary adaptation for a species native to the cold, pristine and relatively unproductive waters of Montana. Due to the aggressive nature of their feeding habits, many Montanan anglers--young and old alike--remember the cutthroat as their first catch. Today, the cutthroat remains a great fish for young anglers to pursue in our streams and high mountain lakes. More experienced anglers have come to admire the cutthroat for their beauty. The familiar flash of gold under the water surface when a cutthroat rises to a dry fly is one of the highlights of many Montana fishing trips. Q: What is the state doing about the plight of the westslope cutthroat trout? A: In September 1996, Gov. Marc Racicot sponsored the state’s first Westslope Cutthroat Trout Workshop. The governor urged participants to develop special actions to preserve and expand the habitat and the populations of these special native trout. But even before that workshop Montana moved to establish in all streams and rivers catch-and-release regulations for westslope cutthroat trout in the central portion of Montana. This regulation was adopted to protect the upper Missouri River westslope cutthroat trout populations. FWP has taken a proactive approach to ensure that westslope will remain an important part of Montana’s sportfishing future.
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