Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) coordinated a rescue mission to rescue 103 cutthroat trout from a small mountain creek caught in the Gold Mountain wildfire.
Aquatic biologist Eric Gardunio told local news outlet, High Country Spotlight, that he and a team of 10 CPW staff had to act fast on July 28 to capture as many Uncompahgre cutthroat trout as possible before weather conditions would make working in the active burn area too dangerous.
The Uncompahgre cutthroat trout is a rare, genetically distinct green lineage of the Colorado River cutthroat trout native to southwest Colorado’s upper river basins.
“These beautiful fish represent a living part of the history of this place,” Gardunio told High Country Spotlight. “They also fill a unique role in the function of the ecosystems they inhabit. Currently, CPW is trying to restore them to many of the streams where they have been lost. They are resilient and have persisted in harsh environments for thousands of years, and they can flourish again if we give them a chance.”
The team had been monitoring the progression of the Gold Mountain wildfires closely for weeks. About 37,200 acres have already been burned and only 12 per cent of the wildfire had reportedly been contained.
The team broke off into three units to access Nate Creek at different sections. Once at the creek, the team used electrofishing backpacks to momentarily stun fish and make it easier to net and place into buckets of water from the creek.
The three units covered roughly three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometres) of the stream and netted 103 cutthroat trout ranging between three and seven inches in length. Fire crew members and CPW staff carried 5-gallon buckets filled with fish and water back up through the burn and out of the canyon to be loaded into a hatchery truck where it was taken to a local CPW fish hatchery.
“The Nate Creek cutthroats arrived in good condition after collection and transport to the Rifle Falls isolation facility,” said Rifle Falls Hatchery Manager Gary George. “The fish were sorted by size prior to bringing them into the facility and placing them into two spring fed circular tanks. Initially, the fish will be fed a naturally supplemented diet prior to transitioning them onto a pelleted fish feed containing nutrients, minerals and vitamins to maintain their health and growth. Hatchery staff will feed and clean the tanks daily to maintain an optimal living environment.”