Native Paiute Cutthroat Trout Restoration in Silver King Creek, California

The Paiute Cutthroat Trout (PCT) Restoration Project was established in 2000 as a partnership between California Department of Fish and Wildlife, USFWS, and USFS. Their goal is to recover the PCT population in the Silver King Creek through non-native fish removal and PCT reintroduction. Chemical treatment (piscicide) was identified by project biologists to ensure complete eradication of non-native rainbow trout, but was resisted by local stakeholders in the region and was only permitted after a 10-year legal challenge. Translocations were successfully conducted using fish cans. CDFW and USFWS are monitoring genetic diversity and habitat connectivity to ensure successful PCT establishment.