Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout
Our state fish, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout has been the focus of most of our work inNew Mexico. There is still hope that we can have some great native fisheries here, but it
will take a lot of hard work.
There is a perception that Rio Grande cutts are small fish. This perception comes from the fact that they have been relegated to tiny headwater streams by either degradation of habitat or competition from non-native browns and rainbows. This is actually incorrect and they can grow into large trophy fish given the right conditions.
We are working to get cutts into more extensive watersheds, like the Rio Costilla where they can grow to their full potential.
TU currently sits on the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Working Group, which consists of
representative from Nm Department of Game & Fish, The US Forest Service, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Interstate Stream Commission, and other Non-Governmental Agencies. The objective of this group is to make sure that restoration efforts continue to move forward, that they include input from all the agencies, and that these efforts have the best chance of being succesful.
In May 2008, the US Fish & Wildlife Service determined that the Rio Grande cutthoat should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Current, the status of teh fish is as a
“candidate” species, menaing that the services will officially list the fish when it can complete the necessary paperwork. Because of the current backlog of species on the candidate list, this may take several years (but it may not), so TU feels it is imperative to get as much work done to restore the fish right now, before there is more red tape involved.
There have been problems in the past, and the NM Game Commission, even in the face of a potentially disasterous Endangered Species Act listing, has been reluctant to approve restoration projects. We hope the state has finally put this issue behind them, not only for the future of the fish, but for the benefit of all resource users across northern New Mexico.
TU currently has a $100,000 National Fish & Wildlife Foundation grant to do work on the Rio Costilla drainage. This project encompasses both public and private lands, and would establish a large meta-population (multiple streams) of cutts that would be easily accessible for the public to fish for. We have also provided smaller grant monies to do work on the Rio de las Vacas in the Jemez mountains, and we are working with one of the pueblos on a potential restoration project. We are also working to secure the smaller populations throughout the Sangre de Cristo mountains, and significant projects are taking place on a couple private ranches over the border in Colorado.
Eventually we would like to see additional projects in the Pecos drainage and on the Valles Caldera National Preserve.
The following are documents of interest regarding Rio Grande cutthroat trout:
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout: A Technical Conservation Assessment (2MB pdf)
US Forest Service Region 3
Conservation Plan for Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout in Colorado (1MB pdf)
Colorado Division of Wildlife
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