Beardslee trout

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Beardslee trout
Beardslee Trout, Sep 2017.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
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Subspecies:
O. m. irideus (but see text)
Form:
Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus f. beardsleei
Synonyms

Oncorhynchus mykiss beardsleei(but see text)
Salmo gairdneri beardsleei

The Beardslee trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus f. beardsleei), formerly Salmo gairdneri beardsleei) is a local form of rainbow trout endemic to Lake Crescent in Washington. Some sources treat them as a subspecies.

Known to locals as "bluebacks", Beardslee trout are found nowhere else, and spawn in the Lyre River, near the outlet of the lake. Beardslee are somewhat difficult to distinguish from the Lake Crescent cutthroat trout, which is also endemic to Lake Crescent, as they only take on the rainbow colors during spawning. [1]

The spawning grounds of the Beardslee (considered the rarest salmonid in the Olympic National Park) are severely threatened by siltation, and the degradation of logjams in the river used as spawning grounds. [2]

Responding to a proposal from Washington Trout, Olympic National Park has announced an emergency change to fishing regulations on Lake Crescent. On May 24 (2002), Park Superintendent David Morris announced that Lake Crescent and all its tributaries will be open for catch and release angling only. The rule change prohibits the use of down riggers, and requires that anglers use only artificial lures with single barbless hooks and no more than two ounces of weight. The emergency rule took effect June 1, the day the lake opened for fishing.

The new rules are designed to protect Lake Crescent's population of Beardslee rainbow trout, which has declined to a critically low level. Beardslee trout are a unique form of rainbow trout, native to Lake Crescent, and found nowhere else on earth. They spawn in late winter and early spring in only one small area of the Lyre River, near the outlet of the lake. Washington Trout conducted independent spawning surveys on the Lyre this past spring and found alarming evidence of very low numbers of spawning fish, indicating that the population has experienced a severe decline. This evidence was supported by counts made by Park Service crews that officially counted only 35 spawning redds (slightly higher than WT's count), the lowest number since official redd counts were begun in 1989. [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Crescent cutthroat trout</span> North American freshwater fish

The Crescenti cutthroat trout or the Lake Crescent cutthroat trout is a North American freshwater fish, a local form of the coastal cutthroat trout isolated in Lake Crescent in Washington. While previously attributed to a distinct subspecies Oncorhynchus clarkii crescenti, it is not currently recognized at the subspecies rank. However the cutthroat trout of Lake Crescent do remain distinct. They have the highest known gill raker and vertebrae counts of any coastal cutthroat population. The cutthroat are believed to have been isolated in Lake Crescent after a landslide blocked the eastern outflow of the lake.

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Barnes Point is an ancient landslide delta that juts out into Lake Crescent in Clallam County, Washington. As one of the few areas of relatively flat ground near Lake Crescent, it hosts Lake Crescent Lodge, the Storm King Ranger Station of Olympic National Park, as well as several private homes. It also contains the trails which access Mount Storm King, Marymere Falls, and Barnes Creek. Barnes Creek flows through an old-growth forest, providing spawning habitat for the endemic Crescent cutthroat trout. The ten acres of land between Rosemary Inn and Lake Crescent Lodge were owned by businessman Thomas Aldwell until 1940. There was a main house three guest cabins, work shed and horse barn. The property was purchased in 1942 by James C deWilde, a retired Dutch banker from Shanghai. His wife's father was from India where he served as Colonel of the Bengal Lancers. During his time at Barnes point, deWilde wrote two books about the resurgence of Islam in Asia. Two other authors also lived at Barnes Point. Margaret Merrill wrote the classic "Bears in my Kitchen" and her husband Bill published a guide to fishing and camping. Bill Merrill was the first ranger to wear side arms and the first nations gave him the moniker "two gun". During the World War deWilde served as the blackout warden in case of enemy action. Emil deWilde and his new wife came to Barnes Point from the Netherlands in 1947. Emil had served in the Dutch underground during the war and had been captured and tortured by the Nazis. His health was poor due to starvation and the extreme quiet was helpful for emotional recovery. Emil and his father started Lake Crescent Nursery on the site. By 1949, 13 people lived on the property including a nanny from Scotland, field hands from Oklahoma and the two families. In 1953 the Park service purchased the property and the house and barn were demolished. Two of the cabins were floated across the lake to Log Cabin resort where they remain in use to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trout Lake (Wyoming)</span>

Trout Lake, formerly known as Fish Lake and Soda Butte Lake, is a 12 acres (0.049 km2) popular backcountry lake for hikers and anglers in Yellowstone National Park. The lake is located approximately .33 miles (0.53 km) north of the Northeast Entrance Road near the confluence of Pebble Creek and Soda Butte Creek. The lake sits in a depression on a high bench above the Soda Butte Creek Canyon. A steep trail through a Douglas fir forest leads to the lake. The trailhead is located at: 44°53′57″N110°7′21″W.

References

  1. Trotter, Patrick C., Cutthroat: Native trout of the West, Colorado Associated University Press, 1987, p. 46
  2. Voice of the wild Olympics - The Trout of Lake Crescent, By Dick Goin (archived copy)
  3. Park Responds to Request From WT to Conserve Beardslee Trout