Bull Trout
The 2015 version of the Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments Partnership (now called Coordinated Assessments Partnership or CAP) envisioned for bull trout a preliminary assessment and discussion of data availability, critical gaps, and relationships to regional data needs that was to begin in the fall of 2017.
Preliminary work on this task was initiated in 2017 in response to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s (NPCC) need to compile objectives for Bull Trout. This 2017 work involved StreamNet, NPCC, and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks and consisted of convening an exploratory meeting on April 12, 2017, in Missoula to discuss Bull Trout objectives, HLIs, and the Coordinated Assessments project with Bull Trout biologists from the Columbia Basin. The revised 2018 version of the Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments Partnership described the intent to delay the review of data on bull trout and discussion of data availability and relationship to regional data needs until FY 2019. This work has not been initiated as further work on Bull Trout HLIs requires additional guidance from the StreamNet Executive Committee to inform regional assessments and reporting, and the availability of resources, including staff and funding.
Background
Bull Trout in the Columbia River Basin are limited in distribution due in part to their need for very cold water. Bull Trout is one of the focal (important) resident fish species for the NPCC’s 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (FW-Program). The 2020 FW-Program Addendum includes three objectives related specifically to Bull Trout (objectives R1, R5, and R6) and one more general Resident Fish Mitigation Strategy Indicator (R1-1):
R1: For Bull Trout, contribute to achieving self-sustaining populations geographically widespread across their native range, providing for genetic integrity and exchange and with stable and/or increasing fish populations capable of sustaining harvest across that range
R5: Hungry Horse Dam impacts on Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout have been
assessed and partially mitigated (abbreviated from the 2020 Addendum).R6: Libby Dam impacts on Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout have been assessed
and partially mitigated (abbreviated from the 2020 Addendum).R1-1: Bull Trout population abundance by subbasin
Bull trout were listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1999. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for Bull Trout recovery efforts. Critical habitat was designated for Bull Trout on October 18, 2010. In the final rule, the USFWS identified 32 critical habitat units representing 19,729 river miles and 488,252 surface acres of Bull Trout habitat. These describe single core areas or groups of core areas that are in close proximity geographically. Six recovery units were defined: Coastal; Klamath; Mid-Columbia; Columbia Headwaters; Upper Snake; and St. Mary. Bull Trout are managed by state and tribal natural resource agencies, which often collect data used in conservation and management efforts.
Resources
Idaho Department of Fish and Game – Idaho Species – Bull Trout
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks – Survey & Inventory – select fish species ‘Bull Trout’ to view all surveys
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – Native Fish Investigations Project; Salmon, Steelhead and Bull Trout (SSBT) precursor layer for Western Oregon; Odell Lake Bull Trout
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife – Species & Habitats – Bull Trout; Bull Trout – Coastal Recovery Unit; Bull Trout – Mid-Columbia Recovery Unit
StreamNet – Fish Monitoring Data Query
PTAGIS – http://www.ptagis.org/
Workshops and Events
See PNAMP Fish Monitoring Work Group webpage for related events.
Past Events not on the PNAMP Webpage
2017 Bull Trout Workshop
The NPCC, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and StreamNet co-organized this workshop to:
- Identify existing Bull Trout objectives to inform the Council’s 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program’s task for refining FW-Program goals and objectives
- Discuss existing reporting needs and data availability related to Bull Trout
- Explore opportunities to facilitate data sharing across jurisdictions/entities
Workshop materials are included in the below document table, which are also accessible from the NPCC 2017 Bull Trout Workshop meeting page.
Bull Trout Documents
| File | Description | File Date |
|---|---|---|
| Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership 2nd revision of the 2019 adopted version (rev Nov 2022) | This is the 2nd revision of the Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership adopted in 2019. This November 2022 revised version incorporates edits discussed and supported during the StreamNet Executive Committee meeting on September 21, 2022. | 2022 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments Partnership (v. 20200902) | Sep 2, 2020 Executive Committee Meeting – Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership (v. 20200902) | 2020 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2015 | 2015 Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2015 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2017 | 2017 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2017 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2018 | 2018 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2018 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2019 | 2019 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2019 |
| Bull Trout Workshop April 2017 meeting notes | Workshop purpose: To identify existing Bull Trout objectives to inform the Council’s 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program’s task for refining program goals and objectives (see presentation for details); To discuss existing reporting needs and data availability related to Bull Trout (see presentation for details and below meeting notes); and, To explore opportunities to facilitate data sharing across jurisdictions / entities (see presentation and meeting notes below). | 2017 |
| 2017 Bull Trout Meeting Slides | 2017 Bull Trout Workshop meeting slides: 2014 Council’s Program Objectives Task and Discussing Data Opportunities | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Workshop Agenda (2017) | 2017 Bull Trout Workshop Meeting Agenda Purpose: To identify existing Bull Trout objectives to inform the NPCC’s task, to discuss existing reporting needs in the region, and to explore opportunities to facilitate data sharing. | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Draft Document List | Draft list of Bull Trout documents that may contain goals and objectives that could inform the NPCC goals and objective tasks. Draft list of documents available as of March 2017. | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Data Sharing Example Approach from Coordinated Assessments Project | Bull Trout Data Sharing Example Approach from Coordinated Assessments Project. | 2017 |
| File | Description | File Date |
|---|---|---|
| Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership 2nd revision of the 2019 adopted version (rev Nov 2022) | This is the 2nd revision of the Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership adopted in 2019. This November 2022 revised version incorporates edits discussed and supported during the StreamNet Executive Committee meeting on September 21, 2022. | 2022 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments Partnership (v. 20200902) | Sep 2, 2020 Executive Committee Meeting – Five-Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments Partnership (v. 20200902) | 2020 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2015 | 2015 Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2015 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2017 | 2017 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2017 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2018 | 2018 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2018 |
| Five-Year Plan for the Coordinated Assessments 2019 | 2019 updated version of the Five Year Plan for Coordinated Assessments | 2019 |
| Bull Trout Workshop April 2017 meeting notes | Workshop purpose: To identify existing Bull Trout objectives to inform the Council’s 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program’s task for refining program goals and objectives (see presentation for details); To discuss existing reporting needs and data availability related to Bull Trout (see presentation for details and below meeting notes); and, To explore opportunities to facilitate data sharing across jurisdictions / entities (see presentation and meeting notes below). | 2017 |
| 2017 Bull Trout Meeting Slides | 2017 Bull Trout Workshop meeting slides: 2014 Council’s Program Objectives Task and Discussing Data Opportunities | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Workshop Agenda (2017) | 2017 Bull Trout Workshop Meeting Agenda Purpose: To identify existing Bull Trout objectives to inform the NPCC’s task, to discuss existing reporting needs in the region, and to explore opportunities to facilitate data sharing. | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Draft Document List | Draft list of Bull Trout documents that may contain goals and objectives that could inform the NPCC goals and objective tasks. Draft list of documents available as of March 2017. | 2017 |
| Bull Trout Data Sharing Example Approach from Coordinated Assessments Project | Bull Trout Data Sharing Example Approach from Coordinated Assessments Project. | 2017 |
