RESTORING AND CONSERVING NATIVE FISH HABITAT
Grand Teton National Park’s only native trout—Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout—are subjected to many human-induced habitat changes across the landscape, including fish passage impediments, entrainment in irrigation infrastructure, competition with non-native trout, and warming stream temperatures. Foundation funds help the park leverage other sources of support to expand fisheries programs that focus on 1) life histories of native fish, and 2) applying that knowledge to cooperative projects with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Trout Unlimited, Bridger-Teton National Forest, and others to restore native fish populations and their habitats. This year, Foundation funds will help the park continue to examine habitat effectiveness in Ditch Creek, census spawning cutthroat using a video weir, and expand understanding of the dynamics, threats, and challenges that the park's native aquatic fauna face.