Bull Trout Task Force
Bull Trout Recovery
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) were listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1998. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the agency responsible for recovery planning and consultation on actions that may affect the species.
Mid-Columbia Fisheries is an active partner in local bull trout recovery. If you have information, sightings, or pictures of bull trout in the Yakima or Naches Rivers or tributaries, we would like to hear from you! Please reach out to bttf@midcolumbiafisheries.org
Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are a charismatic, apex predator of freshwater ecosystems. They are members of the salmon and trout family. Although called “trout” they are a species of char and share the Salvelinus genus with fish like the Eastern Brook Trout, Arctic Char, Lake Trout, and Dolly Varden.
Bull Trout primarily inhabit the Eastern slope of the Cascade Mountain Range, except for a few populations that occur around the Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula of Washington. This is the only area where Dolly Varden and Bull Trout overlap, and they can be difficult to distinguish just by looks.
Bull Trout have some of the most specific habitat needs of all Salmonids. One of the most important habitat features Bull Trout rely on is very cold water. At this point in history, this fish primarily exists only in the coldest streams and lakes, often at high elevations or upstream of impassable dams. They
also require clean water, habitat complexity, and connected migratory corridors, like other Salmonids. Habitat degradation (high temperatures, bad water quality) and loss (dams impeding migration) are some of the primary causes of decline for this species. The Bull Trout was listed as “threatened” on the United States Endangered Species Act in 1998 and remains there today.
Mid-Columbia Fisheries assists with coordination of the Yakima Bull Trout Working Group, sponsors the Bull Trout Task Force project, and assists and implements on-the-ground recovery actions that directly benefit bull trout. This has included habitat restoration, population monitoring, rescuing stranded fish and eDNA surveys.
The Yakima Bull Trout Working Group (BTWG) is an informal working group that brings together partners working on bull trout conservation approximately once every two months. It has become the go-to-place to share updates and coordinate bull trout activities. The BTWG is coordinated by the Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Learn more here.
USFWS first released a draft Bull Trout Recovery Plan in 2002. Finalization of the plan was deferred while a 5 Year Status Review was completed in 2008. A new draft was released in September 2014, and the final USFWS Recovery Plan was released in Sept 2015.
In 2012, local bull trout biologists in the Yakima Basin completed the Yakima Bull Trout Action Plan, and in 2017, the Yakima Bull Trout Working Group made an intensive update. We are currently working on another update to the plan, which is expected to be done in 2025. This document is a locally developed summary of information about Yakima Basin bull trout populations. It includes information about population status, habitat, and a detailed analysis of threats by life stage and corresponding monitoring and restoration actions. It is being used to track our progress towards implementing priority actions needed to recovery bull trout in the Yakima Basin.
Introducing the Bull Trout Task Force
Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group has been implementing the Bull Trout Task Force (BTTF) since 2011. The primary goal of the task force is to assist in Bull Trout recovery in the Yakima River Basin. BTTF staff are trained to perform education and outreach, remove recreational rock dams that block fish passage, post educational signage at recreation areas, evaluate de-watering and fish passage conditions, and assist regional biologists with Bull Trout population monitoring and other special projects. Ongoing projects that use BTTF staff labor include seasonal redd surveys (Washington Department of Fish and Widlife), demographic (snorkel) surveys (WDFW), and Bull Trout rescue (Yakama Nation).
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Rock Dams
Rock dams are not only illegal but they impact fish movements during the most critical times of the year. The BTTF removes these structures and educates the public on their impacts. Please refrain from moving, stacking, and altering the river you are recreating in!
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Outreach
The BTTF provides vital outreach and education opportunities across the Yakima Basin. From campground presentations, boat launch education, fisherman engagement, school program education, to simply being out in the places that bull trout are present.
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Rescue
In some of the streams Bull Trout occupy, the summer dry season leads to dewatering and increased mortality, stranding, and the need to rescue this threatened species. The BTTF is always involved in helping partners perform these rescue efforts, monitor areas where they are needed, and mobilize volunteers/interns to help increase rescue efficiency.
Our Partners
We are grateful to our funders: Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery board for seeing the inherent value of this native species.
For any questions regarding Bull Trout in the Yakima River Basin please contact our Bull Trout Recovery Coordinator, Aimee Taylor at bttf@midcolumbiafisheries.org
Volunteer with Us
We not only hire seasonal positions to spread the Bull Trout stoke, we also run the volunteer program and various internship opportunities! Our work is fun, but it is absolute treat to take people out in our basin to help these magnificent fish.