Linsey Ciepiela, a master’s student at the University of Wyoming has been studying salmonid movement in the Upper North Platte River in order to determine which tributaries are most important to brown and rainbow trout in the region.
The Upper North Platte River proved itself as a viable candidate for the project in many ways, significantly because the fishery in the river has a capacity of 4,000 fish per mile. Ciepiela said this is a massive fishery, providing a huge population to study. Because 76 miles of the North Platte is listed as a Blue Ribbon stream, the fishery has proved itself to be economically valuable to the area as well.
While the fishery is large and prosperous for the region, it still faces threats including changes in water temperature and effects from the beetle kill, Ciepiela said. This study looks at tributaries, their problems and how the Platte Valley landowners and organizations may preserve the vitality of the fish population once it has been determined where the fish are spawning, breeding and spending their lives.
Her study required collection as a first major step which took place over the summer. Ciepiela used a method that involved taking an otolith, or a very small, hard calcium carbonate structure located behind the fish’s brain. The otolith tracks time and location by building rings year after year and with footprints from strontium deposits around where the fish spends its time. The otoliths are analyzed and graphed, providing connections between the fish and their location based on the strontium signatures in specific bedrock areas.
Though the study is in progress, Ciepiela is confident that the results will help focus efforts for river improvement and restoration in the Upper North Platte River. For example, she has already found that the Encampment River is a vital location for many trout in the fishery, being that it is one of the larger tributaries. However, smaller tributaries are proving valuable for rainbow trout spawning because during their spring breeding season, the river is in high water at an adequate temperature. As she learns more about the tributaries, Ciepiela will be able to provide hypotheses about the value of streams that are poorly connected in hopes of spurring improvement.
The value in understanding the tributaries comes down to diversity in population. If all the vital tributaries are maintained and restored, catastrophic events at one tributary will leave a limited impact on the fishery as a whole. With this information, local agencies that have been working on river restoration including the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will be able to focus their efforts and help to sustain the local economy and resources built off the fishery in the river.
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