Project
02.02.03.0010 - Restoration/Recovery of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Fa...
Link to this project

Overview

Basics

Basics
Reintroduction and management of LCT continued in the Fallen Leaf Lake watershed in 2022 under a Memorandum of Understanding and a new scientific collection permit between FWS and CDFW. These agreements identify adaptive management priorities for establishing and protecting the lacustrine LCT population in the lake. Activities followed recommendations from the Science Panel Independent Review Report (Al-Chokhachy et al. 2020). The 2023 sampling season accomplishments included nonnative lake trout removal, installation of a fyke net, backpack electrofishing and stocking a total of 34,869 LCT.

Implementation
2002
2003
2024
$2,992,000
Roy Ulibarri (roy_ulibarri@fws.gov)
03/17/2017
01/30/2024
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Location Information Location Notes
This project includes Fallen Leaf Lake and the Glen Alpine Creek watershed.

Organizations

Organizations
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Roy Ulibarri - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
U.S. Forest Service - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS - LTBMU) Brian Garrett - U.S. Forest Service - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS - LTBMU)

EIP Details

EIP Basics

EIP Basics
View EIP Fact Sheet | View Funding Request Sheet
02 - Forest Health
02.02 - Forest Restoration Program
Restore and Protect Native Fish and Wildlife
02.02.03.0010 - Restoration/Recovery of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Fallen Leaf Lake
10125

This project is on the EIP 5-year list.

Performance Measures

Expected Performance Measures

Expected Performance Measures
Acres of Habitat Restored or Enhanced None acres
Fish Planted None number

Reported Performance Measures

Reported Performance Measures
Acres of Habitat Restored or Enhanced
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Total Units
Action Performed Habitat Type
Enhanced Lake 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 0 1,400 1,400 1,400 11,200 acres
Enhanced SEZ/Wetland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 acres
Restored Lake 1,400 1,400 acres
Total 0 0 0 1,400 0 1,400 0 0 0 1,401 1,401 1,401 1,401 1 1,401 1,401 1,401 12,608 acres
Special Status Species Sites Protected or Re-Established
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Total Units
Action Performed EIP Focal Species Site Type
Re-established Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) High-priority 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 17 number
Total 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 17 number
Fish Planted
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Total Units
Location of Planting Purpose of Planting Species Type
Other Lake Recovery Lahontan Cutthroat Trout 13,882 31,300 27,802 14,790 106,000 35,000 45,103 28,284 13,888 0 6,441 8,055 17,434 347,979 number
Other Lake Recreation Lahontan Cutthroat Trout 61,803 33,700 10,852 14,910 45,000 13,888 0 6,440 8,055 17,435 212,083 number
Total 13,882 61,803 31,300 33,700 27,802 10,852 14,790 14,910 106,000 35,000 90,103 28,284 27,776 0 12,881 16,110 34,869 560,062 number

Funding

Expected Funding

Expected Funding
$2,992,000
$2,542,000
$450,000
($858,000 identified as )
Total
Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (USFWS) $750,000 $0 $750,000
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (USFS - LTBMU) $2,650,000 $2,542,000 $108,000
Grand Total $3,400,000 $2,542,000 $858,000

Reported Expenditures

Reported Expenditures
Total 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act $3,010,892 $45,584 $84,308 $105,000 $120,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $500,000 $460,000 $312,000 $260,000 $260,000
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Grand Total $3,010,892 $45,584 $84,308 $105,000 $120,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $108,000 $500,000 $460,000 $312,000 $260,000 $260,000

Photos

Photos

Other Details

Watersheds

No watersheds set for this project.

Threshold Categories

Local and Regional Plans

Related Projects

Related Projects

02.02.03.0010 - Restoration/Recovery of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Fallen Leaf Lake is associated with following groups of projects.

External Links

No external links entered.

Notes

Notes
01/11/2024 12:42 PM Roy Ulibarri A total of 34,869 LCT were planted in 2023 for both recovery and recreation purposes.
01/13/2023 10:42 AM Roy Ulibarri A total of 16,110 LCT were planted in 2022 for both recovery and recreation purposes.
02/17/2022 7:56 AM Corene Jones A total of 12,881 Pilot Peak LCT were stocked in 2021 for both recovery and recreation. This number was lower than originally planned due to restricted access to Fallen Leaf Lake during the Caldor fire.
12/20/2019 11:35 AM Stephanie Byers A total of 27,776 LCT were planted in 2019 for both recovery and recreation purposes.
03/27/2019 3:46 PM Beth Vollmer Fish planted in 2018 were for both recovery and recreation purposes.
12/14/2017 8:23 AM Stephanie Byers Lake Tahoe basin recovery planning and implementation for Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) has been led by the USFWS-Lahontan NFH Complex in collaboration with State, Tribal, agency and university partners since 2002. Reintroduction began as a research template for conservation measures to reestablish a selfsustaining lacustrine LCT into Lake Tahoe. 2008 strategies such as stocking smaller LCT numbers per site during the thermocline in areas with habitat complexity and managing impacts from nonnative lake trout provided niche space resulting in increased LCT overwintering survival. In 2012 LCT were documented spawning in Glen Alpine Creek for the first time in the Tahoe Basin in over 70 years.
08/02/2016 3:40 PM Stephanie Byers Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) restoration, recovery planning and implementation in the Tahoe basin has been led by the USFWS-Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex (LNFHC) in collaboration with our State, Tribal, agency, community and university partners since 2002. The LCT used in this reintroduction effort is the Pilot Peak strain, genetically representative of the original LCT found in the Lake Tahoe basin. Reintroduction of LCT in Fallen Leaf Lake was initiated as a template for research into conservation measures needed to re-establish a self-sustaining lacustrine form of LCT in Lake Tahoe. In 2008, stocking strategies such as stocking smaller numbers of fish per site, during periods of thermal stratification to minimize encounters with predators and in areas with habitat complexity were identified and implemented to improve stocking survival. These strategies as well as managing impacts from nonnative lake trout proved effective in providing a “niche” for reintroduced LCT resulting in increased survival of overwintering LCT in the lake. In 2012 for the first time in the Tahoe basin lacustrine LCT were documented spawning in Glen Alpine Creek. Since 2012 in coordination with our partners we have transitioned from a predominantly research program to an active adaptive management approach. We are focusing on efforts to continue improving LCT spawning, reproduction, and survival, minimizing hybridization with nonnative rainbow trout and increasing nonnative lake trout suppression in both Fallen Leaf Lake and the Glen Alpine Creek watershed.
In 2011 Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex, in collaboration with our partners in the Tahoe Basin and our researcher, University of Washington completed a two year study on a baseline pelagic food web study in Lake Tahoe. This study, the first comprehensive look at the current ecosystem, determined interactions between the different trophic levels including abundance of prey/predator species and interactions between predator/prey to assess possible restoration and reintroduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT). These findings were presented in 2015 to our partners on the Tahoe Basin Recovery Implementation Team (RIT), researchers in the basin, and the public including the Douglas County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife. Further studies were identified to increase our understanding of lake trout spawning and self-regulating recruitment that potentially will increase successful reintroduction of LCT into Lake Tahoe.
The LCT reintroduction project in the Tahoe basin contributes to the achievement of both fisheries and recreation environmental thresholds. For fisheries it improves in-lake and in-stream habitats by managing nonnative fish to improve habitat utilization by LCT, listed amphibians, and other native species. These objectives are being accomplished in the Glen Alpine Creek watershed (~ 8 miles) and will be initiated in 2-5 high priority tributaries to Lake Tahoe (~ 20 miles). Aquatic resources such as zooplankton and fishes both native and nonnative were monitored and sampled to establish a baseline pelagic food web in Lake Tahoe (49,728 ha). Additionally, recovery and restoration of lacustrine LCT provides a recreational fishing experience for native trout species in both Fallen Leaf Lake and Glen Alpine Creek. Fallen Leaf Lake provides a near-shore native lacustrine fishery that has not been available for more than 10 years in this basin.