Brook trout movement within a high-elevation watershed: Consequences for watershed restoration

Jeff L. Hansbarger; J. Todd Petty; Patricia M. Mazik

Treesearch

Brook trout movement within a high-elevation watershed: Consequences for watershed restoration

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jeff L. Hansbarger, J. Todd Petty, Patricia M. Mazik

Year:

2010

Type:

Other

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 74-84.

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Abstract

We used radio-telemetry to quantify brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) movements in the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, West Virginia, and an adjacent second-order tributary (Rocky Run). Our objectives were to quantify the overall rate of trout movement, assess spatial and temporal variation in movement behaviors, and relate movement behaviors to variation in stream flow, water temperature, and access to coldwater sources. Brook trout residing in the small tributary demonstrated extremely low movement rates in summer and fall. In contrast, main stem trout exhibited high overall movement rates in the summer but low rates in the fall.

Parent Publication

Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains

Citation

Hansbarger, Jeff L.; Petty, J. Todd; Mazik, Patricia M. 2010. Brook trout movement within a high-elevation watershed: Consequences for watershed restoration. In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 74-84.