Colorado River Cutthroat Trout

Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRCT) historically occupied portions of the Colorado River drainage in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Conservation populations are those known (genetic testing complete), or suspected to be, at least 90% genetically pure, or were otherwise determined to be important for CRCT conservation. There are 384 conservation populations occupying 3,615 km of stream habitat in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, which includes 394 km outside of historic habitat. Conservation populations currently occupy 11% of the historic range, up from 8% in 2005. Changes in the number and distribution of conservation populations relative to 2005 were due to an increase in the amount of stream known to be occupied by conservation populations, and the decrease in estimated historic habitat. Prior to recent molecular testing, larger spots and more scales above the lateral line were phenotypic traits associated with Greenback Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias) compared to CRCT. However, recent molecular investigations using contemporary and century‐old museum specimens revealed that phenotypic differences among cutthroat trout in the Colorado River Basin correspond to three distinct genetic lineages of CRCT. These are provisionally designated the “blue lineage,” native to the Yampa, Green and White River Basins; the “green lineage” native to the Upper Colorado, Gunnison and Dolores basins, and the San Juan lineage, native to the San Juan basin and until recently believed to be extinct. The Colorado River Cutthroat has been called one of the most spectacular of the cutthroat trout and one of the most beautiful fish in North America.

Between 2007 and 2021, the Western Native Trout Initiative has contributed $484,876 to 16 projects benefiting Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.

  • READ the 2006 Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Conservation Agreement
  • READ the 2010 Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Rangewide Assessment
  • READ about Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s management of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout
    READ about Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Conservation
  • READ about Utah Division of Wildlife Resource’s Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Conservation Strategy
  • READ MORE about Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Cutthroat Trout Research
  • Watch this video of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout in the Middle Fork Sheep Creek (Utah).  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources took this video of these fish that were released into the creek as part of an ongoing native trout restoration project.
  • Watch the Fish and The Flame.  This 14-minute film, shows how Tim Haarmann, ranch manager at Banded Peak Ranch, and Jim White, a biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, collaborated to save one of the last remaining populations of nearly-extinct San Juan lineage (Colorado River Cutthroat Trout), just as a wildfire threatens to decimate the fish.  If you prefer to read about the story there is an excellent article here.