Parks Canada is celebrating the successful return of a threatened fish species to its historical habitat in Banff National Park. After over ten years of efforts, the federal agency has reported that westslope cutthroat trout are now naturally spawning and repopulating Hidden Lake, near Lake Louise. Shelley Humphries, an aquatics specialist for Parks Canada’s Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay field unit, expressed satisfaction in the species becoming self-sustaining.
Humphries mentioned that initial attempts to eradicate brook trout in 2011 were unsuccessful, leading to the use of rotenone, a natural fish poison, in 2018 and 2019 to remove them. Starting in 2021, they introduced eggs into Hidden Lake for four consecutive years, resulting in successful spawning and the appearance of fully grown fish this year. Ongoing monitoring is planned with the hope that the westslope cutthroat trout will expand beyond Hidden Lake to utilize streams and creeks for spawning.
The westslope cutthroat trout population is showing positive signs, with Humphries expressing optimism about their future reproduction in streams to diversify their habitat. Historically, these trout thrived across the northern end of Banff National Park to the southern tip of Alberta. However, due to recreational fishing and the introduction of non-native species like brook trout in the 1900s, their habitat was compromised, leaving them confined to only 10% of their traditional waterways.
Parks Canada aims to rectify past mistakes by safeguarding the westslope cutthroat trout population with ongoing conservation efforts in various mountain lakes and creeks, including projects in Helen Lake, Cascade Creek, Katherine Lake, and Corral Creek. Plans are also underway to protect threatened bull trout. Humphries emphasized the ecological benefits of preserving these species for the overall ecosystem, mentioning that it can positively impact other wildlife like birds of prey and bears more than the presence of brook trout.
The commitment of Parks Canada to protect endangered species like the westslope cutthroat trout is a top priority, with Humphries emphasizing the agency’s determination to fight for their preservation.
