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Status of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

Lahontan cutthroat were listed as Endangered in 1970 and them upgraded to Threatened in 1975 in an effort to enable hatchery supported populations. Lahontan are gone from most of their historic range. The existing populations found in California have stemmed from extensive planting. Lahontan cutthroat reside in less than 3 percent of their historic range in the Truckee, Walker, and Carson River basins. Most of these populations are isolated in small creeks.

Management Efforts Needed

Even with hatchery supported populations, Lahontan cutthroat face adversity in their current habitat. The small, high-elevation creeks they inhabit are prone to droughts or floods. Risk of extinction is also greatly increased when habitat has been degraded by logging, grazing, mining, etc. And finally, Lahontan cutthroat must survive against the introduction of brown, brooke, and rainbow trout introduced throughout their range.