DRIGGS, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) is preparing to launch a conservation project with the goal of protecting native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the Teton River Canyon in October.
On Oct. 8, biologists will conduct a rotenone treatment on the lower 5.5 miles of Badger Creek to reduce non-native rainbow trout that can pose a threat to native cutthroat. Rotenone is a naturally occurring substance found in the roots of tropical plants that suffocates fish. Some fisheries managers will remove desirable fish populations before using rotenone so those fish can be restocked after the treatment.
“Given populations of rainbow trout upstream in Teton Valley, we recognize that complete eradication of rainbow trout in Teton Canyon is not a feasible objective,” said Fisheries Biologist Nathan Tillotson on the IDFG website. “However, if we can push the reset button on Badger Creek and allow cutthroat to re-establish as the dominant trout species, the entire population of cutthroat in Teton Canyon will be more resilient going forward.”
The Teton River Canyon, between Felt Dam and the Teton Dam site, is the last section of the Teton River where Yellowstone cutthroat are the dominant trout species. According to an announcement on the IDFG website, rainbow trout compete directly with cutthroat for food and habitat. They also breed with cutthroat, which dilutes “important local genetics.”
Badger Creek is a tributary of the Teton River, just upstream of Bitch Creek, and it has one of the highest densities of rainbow trout in the area — about 4,500 fish per mile in the lower section. IDFG, with help from Friends of the Teton River, has documented rainbow trout moving from Badger Creek to Bitch Creek, which is a critical spawning tributary for cutthroat. Signs will be posted in the area around lower Badger Creek warning the public not to enter the water on the day of the treatment.
