New Westslope Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project For Yellowstone

Yellowstone is taking another step forward this week in efforts to restore native fish in park waters.

Goose Lake is located in the Lower Geyser Basin, along the Fairy Falls Trail south of Fountain Flat Drive. Decades ago, it and two other nearby lakes were stocked with non-native Rainbow trout. Their presence has contributed to a decline in native trout in park lakes, rivers and streams. Rainbow trout can breed with cutthroat trout and produce hybrid trout which are also considered a non-native species.

As part of Yellowstone's Native Fish Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment which was approved in May, this week biologists will introduce a fish toxin into the three lakes to remove the non-native Rainbow trout. The project will not impact the nearby Firehole River. While the chemical Rotenone will be introduced in small quantities, visitors are advised not to swim in or drink from the three lakes now through October 15. Warning signs will be posted at all areas treated with the chemical.

Next year, the park will reintroduce genetically-pure native Westslope cutthroat trout to the three lakes. The long term plan, in addition to restoring this native species to a portion of its native habitat, is for these lakes to provide a brood stock population of the native fish for future restoration efforts.

More information on the park's Native Fish Conservation Plan can be found online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=30504.