tagged at Rattlesnake Creek on Diamond Woods Golf
Course south of Monroe. The biggest fish in the
watershed were found here!
Cutthroat trout are the most beloved fish in the watershed, and many people remember fishing for good-sized cutthroat “back in the day” and want to see this native fish thrive again. In the fall of 2010, LTWC began leading a cooperative effort with ODFW to track the seasonal migration patterns and different life characteristics of cutthroat trout in our watershed. This study, along with the passage barrier survey in 2009, is helping us understand and prioritize fish passage corrections and habitat improvements for trout and other native aquatic species.
Traps are set to live capture trout from late fall through spring and cutthroat trout are tagged with PIT tags, which are like microchips for pets. Five antenna stations, strategically placed in the the Bear and Ferguson Creek basins, detect the when tagged fish swim by and the direction they’re heading. Involvement from watershed neighbors 
and volunteers has made this research possible. Several landowners have hosted a trap or antenna on their property, and nearly 100 dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers have participated in the project through tagging fish or entering and analyzing data. They collect all the data in the field, three days a week at four sites – we couldn’t do this research without them!
Thanks to our funders and partners!
This study is graciously funded by a private grant from Richard & Gretchen Evans. Read more about the Evans family’s generous support of the Cutthroat Migration Study.
Other partners & previous funders include:
