The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is launching a project that will restore a rare trout in a remote area to its historic range.
The Paiute cutthroat trout [Oncorhynchus clarkii seleniris] is one of the world’s rarest trout species. It is the only western trout that consistently has no obvious spots on the body, and its native range is a single stream in California, Silver King Creek, located inside the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness.
The Paiute Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project is an effort by the CDFW and several partner agencies to restore the fish to about nine miles of habitat downstream of Llewellyn Falls. This area is believed to be the historic range of the trout prior to its interbreeding with and displacement by introduced nonnative trout.