Livestock Grazing, Golden Trout, and Streams in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California: Impacts and Management Implications

Abstract

Impacts of livestock grazing on California golden trout Oncorhynchus mvkiss aguabonita and their habitat were studied inside and outside of livestock exclosures in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California. In two consecutive years, the majority of stream physical characteristics showed large differences between grazed and ungrazed areas, and the directions of these differences were consistent with the recovery of exclosed streams and riparian areas from impacts caused by livestock grazing. Ungrazed areas consistently had greater canopy shading, stream depths, and bank-full heights and smaller stream widths than grazed areas. California golden trout were very abundant in the study sites; their densities and biomasses were among the highest ever recorded for stream-dwelling trout in the western United States. California golden trout density and biomass per unit area were significantly higher in ungrazed than in grazed areas in three of four comparisons. Differences between grazed and ungrazed areas were less consistent when density and biomass were calculated on the basis of stream length. Our results suggest that current levels of livestock grazing are degrading the stream and riparian components of the study meadows to the detriment of golden trout populations.