Re-establishing Our Native Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout in Colorado
This is how Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the National Park Service is re-establishing our native Rio Grande cutthroat trout here in Colorado.
I've been fascinated with cutthroat trout ever since I moved to Colorado. There are all kinds of different colors of the same species, ranging from dark green to a tan color. They're absolutely beautiful animals and we should do our best to make sure these cutties stick around.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the national park Service are working together to establish our native cutthroat trout. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout is one of the three trout species indigenous to Colorado, according to CPW:
- Southern Colorado - Rio Grande cutthroat trout
- Western Slope - Colorado River cutthroat trout
- The Front Range - greenback cutthroat trout
The re-establishment project will start in late August in the Upper Sand Creek Lake, Lower Sand Creek Lake and in Sand Creek, which is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range.
The lakes and creek will be treated with an organic chemical, Rotenone, which will kill all non-native trout. Cutthroat trout are only found in about 11% of its historic habitat, according to CPW.