In Nevada the Bull Trout only exists in the Jarbidge River in the Northeastern part of the State close to the Idaho border.
In April 1999, the bull trout in the Jarbidge River Basin was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. A threatened species is considered likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. The listing stemmed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing the Bull Trout as threatened in other states such as Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The threatened listing has been a source of controversy ever since.
Although the Nevada Department of Wildlife does not consider the Bull Trout to be threatened in the Jarbidge River they formed the Jarbidge River Bull Trout recovery team in 2005. The Bull Trout Recovery Team has developed a recovery plan to improve and restore Bull Trout
habitat.
I personally have traveled to Jarbidge and fished the Jarbidge River, and I have also talked with Jarbidge locals and I can tell you from personal experience that the Bull Trout is not in danger of becoming endangered in Nevada. On the other hand improving fish habitat in the Jarbidge River can do nothing but improve fishing opportunities for anglers.
If you ever get the opportunity to travel to Jarbidge Nevada, I highly recommend the trip. Jarbidge is one of the most beautiful places on earth and the residents of Jarbidge are one of the friendliest I have found in my Nevada travels.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BULL TROUT SPECIES
The Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a close relative of the Dolly Varden (S. malma) and the Arctic char (S. alpinus). The range of the bull trout extends from southern Oregon east into Montana and north to where British Columbia and Alberta border the Yukon Territory.
Bull trout can live from four to ten years of age or more. Several life histories are known for bull trout. Some fish spend their entire lives as residents of headwater streams, where they eat mostly insects and attain a length of only 8-10 inches. Bull trout that dwell in large rivers may grow much larger, 28-36 inches and 10 to 20 pounds, and prefer fish as prey if they are available. (These populations may run up smaller tributaries to spawn. Lake dwelling bull trout may grow to be the largest of the species (32 lbs.), particularly when large prey such as Kokanee Salmon are present. The bull trout spawns in September and October as water temperatures decrease. Males develop bright spawning colors and a hooked jaw, while females are less colorful.
About the Author: Martin T. Smith
Besides being an authority on the Nevada state flag, Martin is the creator of 'The Nevada Trivia Game', author of "The Battle Born Nevada Trivia Book”, “The Nevada Battle Born Cookbook” and longtime owner of 'The Flag Store Sign & Banner' in Sparks, Nevada.
