Non-Native Trout Removal for Native Gila Trout Recovery in Whitewater Creek, New Mexico

Following a fire that reduced non-native Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout populations, the Department of Game & Fish (NMDGF), USFWS, and the Gila National Forest initiated a project to restore the native, previously extirpated Gila Trout populations in Whitewater Creek. The team used electrofishing surveys to document non-native fish presence and perform reconnaissance for rotenone treatments. The piscicide was applied annually from 2017 to 2019 to eradicate the Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout. eDNA samples were collected to monitor the effectiveness of the treatments. By 2020, the non-native trout were removed, and Gila Trout were subsequently reintroduced.