WCT Multi-state Assessment February 1 0, 2003 



Results 



Historical Range 



Based on the LLID hydrography layer used, a total of about 56.500 miles of potential lotic 

 habitat were identified as historically (circa 1800) occupied by WCT (Figure 1; Appendix E). 

 The estimated amount of historical range in each state was about 33,000 miles in Montana 

 (59%). over 19,000 miles in Idaho (34%). over 1.000 miles in Oregon (2%), almost 3,000 miles 

 in Washington (5%), and under 100 miles in Wyoming (Yellowstone National Park; < 1%). 

 Several 4*^^ code river basins, including the Milk Headwaters. Upper Milk, Willow, Bullwhacker- 

 Dog, Box Elder, and Upper and Middle, and Lower Musselshell in the Missouri River system, 

 the Hangman basin in the Spokane system, and the North John Day system in Oregon were 

 excluded as historical habitats, even though previous assessments may have included some or 

 parts of these basins within the historical range. 



Exclusion of the four Missouri River system basins was based on: 1) WCT were not found 

 during any fishery surveys, either from historical or current records, in any waters within these 

 basins; and 2) we found written historical accounts stating that the basin did not support trout. 

 The only exception to the above two conditions was found in the Box Elder basin where a single 

 tributary. Collar Gulch, presently has WCT, but anecdotal evidence from a local retired Game 

 Warden indicated WCT were stocked into this drainage in the early 1900"s. 



The Hangman Creek (also known as Latah Creek in Washington) HUC was excluded from the 

 historical range based on evidence that redband trout are native and WCT were introduced (Ron 

 Peters, Coeur d'Alene Tribe Natural Resources Dept., personal communication). Hangman 

 Creek is a low elevation tributary to the Spokane River downstream from Post Falls. Post Falls 

 was an upstream migration block to anadromous fish, including steelhead, and is generally 

 considered to be the upstream extent of O. mykiss in the Spokane system (although there is some 

 question that Spokane Falls, located between Post Falls and the mouth of Hangman Creek, 

 constituted the upstream extent of O. mykiss). Fish distribution information from the Spokane 

 system downstream of Spokane Falls indicates that O. mykiss replaced WCT as the native trout. 

 Other low elevation systems (e.g., lower Salmon River. Snake River downstream from the 

 Salmon River) within the historical range of steelhead typically do not support WCT. 

 Historical hatchery records indicate cutthroat trout stocking may have occurred during the first 

 half of the 20th century in Lolo Creek, a tributary of Hangman Creek; however, there are at least 

 three other Lolo creeks in Idaho and early records do not specify locations of stocked streams. 



The North John Day system was excluded because historical records indicated WCT never 

 occupied this basin and streams within this basin that now support WCT were stocked. 

 Approximately 1 00 WCT taken from Deardorff Creek, a mainstem John Day River tributary, 

 were stocked into South Fork Desolation Creek and another 100 were stocked into Clear Creek 

 by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in 1960 (Hewkin 1960). These were 

 stocked in an attempt to re-establish populations offish after spruce budworm spraying occurred 

 in 1958. Gunckel (ODFW, personal communication) indicated Olive Lake was planted with 

 WCT from Twin Lakes in the 1970*s. The WCT in Twin Lakes originated from WCT taken 



Page- 15 



