Western Native Trout Initiative

Bear Lake supports the last remaining afluvial population of Bonneville cutthroat trout within their historic range. St. Charles Creek historically supported large numbers of these migratory fish for spawning and rearing, with juveniles eventually moving downstream into the lake.

Irrigation practices at the Transtrum diversion currently block BCT spawning migrations in the spring, causing fish from Bear Lake to spawn below the diversion where habitat is unsuitable.

The proposed project would provide upstream fish passage at the Transtrum Diversion and allow migratory fish to spawn in upstream reaches of the creek where juvenile rearing habitat is adequate to support their offspring. This project seeks to reestablish a self-sustaining spawning run of BCT in St. Charles Creek.

The diversion structure will be modified to incorporate upstream passage, and screened to keep juveniles and returning adults out of the irrigation system.