Bull trout numbers are down in this year’s survey, but changes to stream flows may account for most of this . . .
Low flows and stream blockages may have contributed to some lower-than-usual spawning results in the annual northwest Montana bull trout survey this fall.
“In some streams, our annual index sections were not accessible to fish due to debris jams, beaver dams or other flow-related conditions, resulting in lower-than-expected counts,” said Tom Weaver, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bull trout specialist in Kalispell. However, he said the overall count indicates numbers of the federally threatened species remain stable in the region.