JACKSON, Wyo. — Two species of cutthroat trout that make their home in the Snake River are considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
SGCN designation identifies species whose conservation status warrants increased management attention and funding. The Snake River and Yellowstone cutthroat trout habitat ranges from Yellowstone National Park down to Star Valley. This area correlates with the program area for the Snake River Headwaters Initiative (SRHI), which was started to address human developmental impact on stream habitat and fish populations.
According to the SRHI, the native Snake River finespotted cutthroat trout is the only subspecies of cutthroat trout that still dominates in its home range, but if environmental disturbances increase in the coming decades, the cutthroat trout and their habitat will be less able to resist and/or rebound.
While protections exist around the public and protected lands within the Snake River watershed, human development and activities continue to negatively impact the area.
The current Snake River Bridge Project may increase turbidity levels and/or temporary habitat loss for fish, though the impacts are expected to be short-term and localized. However, habitat issues identified by the Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study include aquatic species migration restriction and trout spawning and rearing habitat limitation by sediment.
The Snake River is not designated as a national wild, scenic or recreational river within the PEL study area, but can compromise fish populations that extend beyond the area. Though the PEL outlines ways to mitigate encroachment, destabilization of the stream bank and resulting high erosion has led to high sediment loads, decreased water quality and reduced quality aquatic habitat.
