In an effort to conserve existing populations, and to avoid listing, of westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii), the Swan Lands Coordinating Committee’s Native Fish Subcommittee is focused on identifying and conserving "conservation populations" which consist of genetically pure cutthroat in the valley. To the best of our knowledge, we believe that genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout today are only thriving in about 20% of their historic stream habitat in the Swan Lake watershed, mirroring declines rangewide. The survivors live in small, fragmented populations in headwater streams and are no longer considered one large, interconnected “metapopulation.” 51% of historic cutthroat habitat in the Swan is occupied by hybrids. Westslope cutthroats are now a federal "species of special concern" and periodically have been considered for listing for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Northwest Connections' role in conserving native fish in the Swan Valley has been to survey for westslope populations in order to provide up-to-date data on their distribution and abundance for fisheries managers. We have worked in partnership with the Flathead National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to gather genetic information about local cutthroat trout populations to help determine where pure populations still exist.

- click on map to enlarge view (PDF format) -

Further reading on the current status of cutthroat trout in the Swan Valley (PDF).

Read more here about Northwest Connections’ field work (PDF).