Western Native Trout Initiative

The upper four miles of the West Fork Gila River will be restored to repair degraded habitat conditions caused by post-wildfire flood and scour. Successful re-establishment of Gila trout and protection of the Whiskey Creek population would be supported by this project, WNTI and NFHI priorities. Improvement of upper West Fork Gila River would support re-establishment of multiple lineages of Gila trout and would protect the isolated Whiskey Creek lineage.

The 2002 Cub Fire severely impacted the upper West Fork Gila River, resulting in scouring and degradation of the native trout habitats. Continuing flood and scour events threaten ongoing re-establishment efforts and threaten continued existence of the Whiskey Creek population. Project will stabilize and improve habitat conditions to increase pool habitats and instream cover, thereby supporting increased population stability for Gila trout. Project will would entail use of draft mules to place large woody debris and boulders into stream channel to create pool scour and cover zones. Juvenile and adult beavers would be transplanted from human-based problem areas to take advantage of increasing willow and alder riparian community for construction of dams and resulting channel stabilization and trout habitat creation.