Results 



Species Distribution 



Sculpin distribution in the study area appeared to be limited to 

 two species; slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus ) , and torrent sculpin 

 ( Cottus rhotheus) (Figure 2, and Appendix A). Qualitative 

 assessments of habitat characters for each site are included in 

 appendices B and C. Qualitative assessments of habitat 

 characteristics for sites containing no sculpin are in Appendix 

 D. 



Torrent sculpin had the most widespread distribution of the two 

 sculpin species found in this study area although its 

 distribution was restricted to the Kootenai River watershed. 

 This species had the shortest longitudinal range within an 

 inhabited watershed, and were in close proximity to the mainstem 

 Kootenai. 



Slimy sculpin were found at sites on tributary streams mainly 

 south, southwest and southeast of Libby. The exception to this 

 was Pipe Creek. Longitudinally, slimy sculpin were found within 

 1 km of the Kootenai River only on Parmenter Creek. Slimies 

 inhabiting reaches of other tributaries were over 1 km from 

 either the Clark Fork or the Kootenai Rivers. Slimy sculpin were 

 the only species present in the Bull River drainage. 



On Kootenai River tributaries above Libby dam, only torrent 

 sculpin were found. All sampled torrents were within 1 km of the 

 main river except for one site on Big Creek, and two sites within 

 the Tobacco River, watershed. Downstream of the dam, other sites 

 with torrents more than 1 km from the Kootenai River included two 

 feeder creeks to Libby Creek and five tributaries to the Fisher 

 River (Figure 2) . 



A total of 30 sites in 10 tributaries were resampled in 1992. 

 Only three of these tributaries contained sculpin (Appendix E) . 

 Five Mile Creek was the only sampled watershed with sculpin 

 within 1 km of the Kootenai River. Graves Creek and the Pleasant 

 Valley/Fisher River sites were further removed from the Kootenai 

 River drainage. 



Slimy sculpin and torrent sculpin were found to be sympatric in 

 two tributary streams of the Kootenai River below Libby Dam but 

 for the most part were found isolated from each other 

 longitudinally. In tributaries where both slimy and torrent 



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