Progress Even Brook Trout
Restore and sustain naturally reproducing brook trout populations in Chesapeake Bay headwater streams, with an eight percent increase in occupied habitat by 2025.
Restore and sustain naturally reproducing brook trout populations in Chesapeake Bay headwater streams, with an eight percent increase in occupied habitat by 2025.
According to an assessment completed in 2015 by the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV), wild brook trout occupy 33,200 square kilometers of habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This includes the streams they share with brown and/or rainbow trout.
There are 13,500 square kilometers of allopatric or “wild brook trout only” streams, which are comprised of 990 separate patches, or groups of contiguous catchments. This is the baseline from which progress toward this outcome will be measured, which means 14,600 square kilometers of habitat occupied only by wild brook trout serves as our restoration goal. Our annual restoration target is 137 square kilometers of habitat.
Brook trout are an essential part of the headwater stream environment and a valuable recreational resource. Because the fish needs clean, cold water to survive, its presence is a sign of a healthy stream. The possibility of restoring brook trout to local streams has motivated private landowners to reduce pollution and conserve habitat on their properties.
To achieve this outcome, Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to:
Monitoring and assessing progress toward the outcome will occur through an annual cluster analysis of the number, size and genetic diversity contained within wild brook trout patches. A status report will be developed every five years to summarize gains or losses in occupied habitat and recommend actions to maintain progress.
As part of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s partnership-wide implementation of adaptive management, progress toward this outcome was reviewed and discussed by the Management Board in May of 2017.
Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to taking a series of specific actions that will support the management approaches listed above.
The Vital Habitats Goal Implementation Team leads the effort to achieve this outcome. It works in partnership with the Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team.
Participating partners include: