The Restoration of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in the Clear Creek Drainage, Utah

Like many other western native trout, Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT) have been lost from much of their historic range due to various factors. Clear Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Sevier River in south central Utah and, prior to 1977, BCT had been eradicated from all but one mile of the drainage. Ash flows and flooding following a 2010 wildfire caused large scale losses of non native trout in Clear Creek and its two largest tributaries, which prompted an effort to restore BCT and four other native fish species in the entire drainage. Between 2011 and 2014, the remaining exotic fish were removed from 61 miles of Clear Creek and its tributaries through stepwise piscicide treatments. With 65 miles of trout habitat, the Clear Creek drainage will sustain the largest BCT population in the Sevier River Basin. This single project will elevate the proportion of the historic range in the basin occupied by BCT from 11% to 15%. In addition, Clear Creek and its tributaries now comprise the largest stream drainage in the state of Utah that is inhabited solely by native fish species.