Factors Affecting Habitat Selection by a Small Spawning Charr Population, Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus): Implications for Recovery of an Endangered Species

Bull trout populations in many North American streams are declining and are considered to be endangered. Factors affecting spawning habitat selection and redd habitat characteristics were studied in Gold Creek in the Columbia River Basin, WA. Most spawning in upstream areas occurred after downstream channels were dewatered, isolating the fish. Habitats were chosen or avoided in proportion to their availability. Preferences appear to show the influence of prolonged entrapment, but site fidelity could also have some influence. Redd habitat typically had good cover, a gravel substrate, and higher stream flow. A U.S. government recovery plan for bull trout aims to ensure self-sustaining populations over the long-term, and links recovery to landscape measures for protecting and conserving populations and their habitats in a manner that establishes connected networks of refuges.