The Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis is the southernmost subspecies of Cutthroat Trout, and as with the other subspecies, stream temperature regulates growth, reproductive success, distribution, and survival. The Río Grande cutthroat trout, the state fish, is now a rare species and needs all the help and attention it can get. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Jicarilla-Apache Nation, the Mescalero-Apache Nation, and the Taos Pueblo tribe and conservation organizations such as the Western Native Trout Initiative and Trout Unlimited has collaborated to work on range-wide protection plans and completed numerous conservation projects for the species. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout, New Mexico’s state fish, once ranged from southern Colorado to southern New Mexico, but today occupies only 10% of its former range. Historic records indicate Texas may have had one indigenous salmonid, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis). Cutthroat survival: Stocking the Río with native trout They were all patiently waiting for the same thing—a bag of fish, but these were no ordinary fish. Depending on the experience an angler is after, one can day-trip from the truck or turn their search for RGCT into a remote wilderness experience. U.S. Many fish commonly display vibrant red coloration along their lower flanks and all RGCT possess a distinctive red-orange slash along their jawline. Many RGCT populations in New Mexico are managed as “Special Trout Waters.” of Game and Fish, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. We are always happy to help. Osie Samie. The photos below are Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout once ranged over much of the upper Rio Grande basin in New Mexico and southern Colorado, according to Craig Springer, fisheries biologist for USFWS in Santa Fe. By duplicating important RGCT populations, the risk of wildfires wiping out entire genetic strains of RGCT is reduced. Click the tab headings below for more Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout information. Catching a Rio Grande Cutthroat trout is a one-of-a-kind experience. READ MORE more about Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s efforts to conserve Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. saving the rio grande cutthroat trout Large numbers of Rio Grande cutthroat trout once swam the cool, clear waterways of southern Colorado and New Mexico. Greenback Cutthroat Trout. RGCT occupy high-elevation headwater streams and lakes throughout southern Colorado and New Mexico. Rio Hondo: Stream flow Monday morning near Valdez was 25.7 cfs. Fish and Wildlife Service Determines ESA Protection for the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is Not Warranted. Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis)Data: Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Status Assessment - 2008 Conservation Agreement for Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout - 2013 Partners: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, New Mexico Dept. The historic range of Rio Grande cutthroat trout has been reduced over the last 150 years due to many landscape changes, including drought, water infrastructure, habitat changes, hybridization with rainbow trout and other species of cutthroat trout, and competition from brown trout and brook trout. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) found that listing the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis) under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted at this time. A nice sized Rio Grande cutthroat trout from small creek in Northern New Mexico. Vidal Creek on the Valle Vidal, Rio Costilla watershed. Browse more videos. For example, the Las Conchas fire of 2011 cleared Rito de los Frijoles of nonnative Brook Trout and its habitat was recently deemed suitable for RGCT reintroduction. They currently live in only about 100 headwater streams, occupying 10 percent of their former range. Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout being reintroduced to Comanche Creek . ©2019 Western Native Trout Initiative. They are generalist feeders, eating a variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects as well as the occasional fish. Competition with non-native trout, coupled with habitat loss, now limits the imperiled native trout to less than 10 percent of its original range. 3:51. Species such as Brook Trout and Brown Trout often compete with RGCT for food. An updated conservation agreement and 10-year plan to protect the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout was signed in 2013 with the goal of assuring the long-term viability of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout throughout its historic range and setting a conservation strategy for the near future. Other serious threats to the conservation status of RGCT include wildfire and drought. The project is part of a long-planned strategy to restore the native Rio Grande cutthroat trout to waters where its numbers have dwindled toward the edge of extinction. Blueheads and Bonnevilles – Weber River, Utah, Rio Grande Cutthroat Species Status Report, 2013 Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Conservation Agreement. Historically, RGCT occupied streams throughout the Rio Grande, Canadian, and Pecos river basins. View the press release here. READ MORE about New Mexico Game and Fish Department’s efforts to conserve Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. Have made them a very popular sportfish in New Mexico are managed as Special..., Rainbow trout can be caught at Cabresto Lake and the nearby streams currently live in only about headwater. Fish down into the gorge by packing them in on foot water, ample riparian cover, and Jemez.. High wildfire risk assessments completed in 2013 found that 86 % of former. 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