NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE STATEWIDE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT FEDERAL AID JOB PROGRESS REPORT F-20-53 2017 LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT TROUT STUDY WESTERN REGION NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES DIVISION ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT Table of Contents Content Page SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................. 1 OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................. 2 PROCEDURES ............................................................................................................... 3 FINDINGS ....................................................................................................................... 7 MANAGEMENT REVIEW ............................................................................................. 12 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 188 NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES DIVISION ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT State: Nevada Project Title: Statewide Fisheries Program Job Title: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Study Period Covered: January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 SUMMARY Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT, Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) population monitoring surveys were completed in Trout Creek Mountains (Corral Canyon Creek, Line Canyon Creek, and Sage Creek), Jackson Mountains (Jackson Creek), and Santa Rosa Range (Threemile Creek and Falls Canyon Creek). Riparian habitat assessments and livestock monitoring occurred in coordination with Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District and US Forest Service, Santa Rosa Ranger District regularly during the spring, summer, and fall grazing seasons. This monitoring and coordination effort occurred on both occupied LCT streams and recovery streams within historic habitat. BACKGROUND LCT is the only native trout occurring in the Lahontan Basin. LCT was distributed in the drainages of ancient Lake Lahontan and, as conditions became more arid during the last 5,000 to 12,000 years, it survived in small populations of isolated headwater streams throughout many mountain ranges in Nevada, Oregon, and California. The settlement of the Great Basin brought livestock grazing, urban development, mining, water diversions, and introduction of non-native trout resulting in hybridization and competition that led to significant declines in the range and number of this unique cutthroat trout subspecies. In response to these declines, LCT was listed as endangered in 1970, but reclassified as threatened in 1975. In January 1995, the USFWS released a recovery plan for the Lahontan cutthroat trout. LCT was historically common in the Quinn River, Black Rock, and Little Humboldt sub-basins of the Humboldt River system. The Black Rock drainages may have had as many as 46 streams occupied by LCT. Presently, LCT is thought to occupy only 15% of its historic stream habitat in the Quinn River-Black Rock drainages. Populations have suffered from habitat loss, hybridization with nonnative salmonids, and extended droughts. Recovery action in the Quinn River drainage is a priority in the 1995 USFWS Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Recovery Plan. The final draft of the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Species Management Plan for the Quinn/Black Rock Basins and North Fork of the Little Humboldt River Sub-basin was completed in 1999. This plan, written under the umbrella of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife LCT Recovery Plan, contains management strategies and objectives that outline the processes that are used to guide activities. Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and the Quinn-Blackrock Geographic Management Unit (GMU) Team have used this plan to guide recovery efforts since its signing. 1 OBJECTIVES • Coordinate with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other members of the NWGMU team during monthly meetings to identify actions needed to reestablish LCT into the McDermitt Creek system. • Augment the Sage Creek population of LCT with a suitable LCT source stock that will be identified through population monitoring and genetic analysis. • Conduct monitoring of LCT populations in Crowley Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 3.5 miles), Washburn Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Riser Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Sage Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 8 miles), Corral Canyon Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Line Canyon Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 3 miles), North Fork Battle Creek (Black Rock Range, approximately 2 miles), Battle Creek (Black Rock Range, approximately 1 mile), Colman Creek (Black Rock Range, approximately 4 miles), Threemile Creek (Santa Rosa Range, approximately 4 miles), Eightmile Creek (Santa Rosa Range, approximately 4 miles), and South Fork Indian Creek, approximately 4 miles). • Collect fin clips from LCT populations, as available, and submit samples to University of Nevada, Reno for genetic analysis. • Coordinate with staff from BLM Winnemucca District and USFS Santa Rosa Ranger District to complete regular monitoring on grazing allotments, which contain LCT recovery streams to ensure land use practices are occurring as permitted. • Complete a chemical treatment on the lower section of Falls Canyon Creek downstream of the waterfall fish barrier to remove nonnative brook trout. • Examine the feasibility of conducting a chemical treatment to eradicate non-native fish in Wash O’Neil Creek, and complete the treatment if favorable conditions permit. • Survey waters on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge to determine suitability for establishing out-of-basin populations of LCT to use in recovery efforts. • Conduct mechanical eradication of nonnative brook trout on Abel Creek in the upper one mile of stream habitat, and examine the possibility of reestablishing Abel Creek LCT in the North Fork Abel Creek. • Reintroduce LCT into Happy Creek in the Jackson Mountains. • Conduct General Aquatic Wildlife Surveys (GAWS) Level III stream habitat surveys on Rock Creek (Sonoma Range), Jackson Creek (Jackson Mountains), Snow Creek (Pine Forest Range), Leonard Creek (Pine Forest Range), Chicken Creek (Pine Forest Range), Crowley Creek (Montana Mountains), Riser Creek (Montana Mountains), Washburn Creek (Montana Mountains), Andorno Creek (Santa Rosa Range), Falls Canyon Creek (Santa Rosa Range), Horse Creek (Santa Rosa Range), McConnell Creek (Santa Rosa Range), Threemile Creek (Santa Rosa Range), and Indian Creek (Santa Rosa Range). • Conduct General Aquatic Wildlife Surveys (GAWS) Level III stream habitat surveys on streams as needed and identified to assist in LCT recovery efforts. • Capture LCT from North Fork Battle Creek, Battle Creek, and Colman Creek to assist in recovery efforts within the McDermitt Creek system by augmenting existing LCT populations or reestablishing LCT populations in streams within the McDermitt Creek watershed. 2 • Collect LCT brood fish or fertilized eggs from a source LCT population to be determined through population and disease monitoring to provide eggs that will be hatched and raised in a controlled hatchery environment and later stocked as fingerling sized trout in waters within the McDermitt Creek system. • Augment the recent introduction of LCT into Cottonwood Creek in the Wassuk Mountain Range, Mount Grant (Mineral County) utilizing source stock from available LCT streams in cooperation with CDFW. • Collect five LCT from Catnip Creek with clinical signs of Flavobacterium psychrophilum (Coldwater disease) and preserve in formalin. Samples will be sent to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for disease diagnosis. PROCEDURES Coordinate with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other members of the NWGMU team during monthly meetings to identify actions needed to reestablish LCT into the McDermitt Creek system. On January 18, 2017, NDOW attended a meeting with representatives from FWS, BLM, TU, and ODFW to discuss management strategies for LCT recovery within the McDermitt Creek system. As a follow-up to this meeting, NDOW also participated in a conference call on February 21, 2017. NDOW attended a Trout Creek Working Group Meeting hosted by ODFW on September 13, 2017 in McDermitt, NV where land management and wildlife management issues in the Trout Creek Mountains were discussed. Augment the Sage Creek population of LCT with a suitable LCT source stock that will be identified through population monitoring and genetic analysis. Based on 2016 surveys completed on LCT occupied waters throughout the NWGMU, Battle Creek, North Fork Battle Creek, and Colman Creek were identified as potential source stocks for translocation and reintroduction efforts in Sage Creek. However, no LCT were moved into Sage Creek due to ODFW staff recommending reevaluating LCT recovery efforts within the McDermitt Creek system. Conduct population monitoring on LCT populations in Crowley Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 3.5 miles), Washburn Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Riser Creek (Montana Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Sage Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 8 miles), Corral Canyon Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 4 miles), Line Canyon Creek (Trout Creek Mountains, approximately 3 miles), North Fork Battle Creek (Black Rock Range, approximately 2 miles), Battle Creek (Black Rock Range, approximately