Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Climate Change on Cold-Water Fish in the Northern Rockies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Climate Change and Rocky Mountain Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 63))

Abstract

Decreased snowpack with climate warming will shift the timing of peak streamflows, decrease summer low flows, and in combination with higher air temperature, increase stream temperatures, all of which will reduce the vigor of cold-water fish species. Abundance and distribution of cutthroat trout and especially bull trout will be greatly reduced, although effects will differ by location as a function of both stream temperature and competition from non-native fish species. Increased wildfire will add sediment to streams, increase peak flows and channel scouring, and raise stream temperature by removing vegetation.

Primary strategies to address climate change threats to cold-water fish species include maintaining or restoring functionality of channels and floodplains to retain (cool) water and buffer against future changes, decreasing fragmentation of stream networks so aquatic organisms can access similar habitats, and developing wildfire use plans that address sediment inputs and road failures. Adaptation tactics include using watershed analysis to develop integrated actions for vegetation and hydrology, protecting groundwater and springs, restoring riparian areas and American beaver populations to maintain summer baseflows, reconnecting and increasing off-channel habitat and refugia, identifying and improving stream crossings that impede fish movement, decreasing road connectivity, and revegetating burned areas to store sediment and maintain channel geomorphology. Removing non-native fish species and reducing their access to cold-water habitat reduces competition with native fish species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Al-Chokhachy, R., Schmetterling, D. A., Clancy, C., et al. (2016). Are brown trout replacing or displacing bull trout populations in a changing climate? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 73, 1395–1404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ardren, W. R., DeHaan, P. W., Smith, C. T., et al. (2011). Genetic structure, evolutionary history, and conservation units of bull trout in the coterminous United States. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 140, 506–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beechie, T., Imaki, H., Greene, J., et al. (2013). Restoring salmon habitat for a changing climate. River Research and Applications, 29, 939–960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin, J. R., Dunham, J. B., & Dare, M. R. (2007). Invasion by nonnative brook trout in Panther Creek, Idaho: Roles of local habitat quality, biotic resistance, and connectivity to source habitats. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 136, 875–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bozek, M. A., & Young, M. K. (1994). Fish mortality resulting from delayed effects of fire in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Great Basin Naturalist, 54, 91–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carim, K. J., McKelvey, K. S., Young, M.K., et al. (2016). A protocol for collecting environmental DNA samples from streams. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report (RMRS-GTR-355). Fort Collins: U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, M. A., & Fausch, K. D. (2007). Cold summer temperature limits recruitment of age-0 cutthroat trout in high-elevation Colorado streams. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society., 136, 1231–1244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooney, S. J., Covich, A. P., Lukacs, P. M., et al. (2005). Modeling global warming scenarios in greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki stomias) streams: Implications for species recovery. Western North American Naturalist, 65, 371–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooter, W., Rineer, J., & Bergenroth, B. (2010). A nationally consistent NHDPlus framework for identifying interstate waters: Implications for integrated assessments and interjurisdictional TMDLs. Environmental Management, 46, 510–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunham, J. B., Rieman, B. E., & Peterson, J. T. (2002). Patch-based models to predict species occurrence: lessons from salmonid fishes in streams. In J. M. Scott, P. J. Heglund, M. Morrison, et al. (Eds.), Predicting species occurrences: Issues of scale and accuracy (pp. 327–334). Covelo, CA: Island Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunham, J. B., Rieman, B. E., & Chandler, G. L. (2003). Influences of temperature and environmental variables on the distribution of bull trout within streams at the southern margin of its range. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 23, 894–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunham, J. B., Gallo, K., Shively, D., et al. (2011). Assessing the feasibility of native fish reintroductions: A framework applied to threatened bull trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 31, 106–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eby, L. A., Helmy, O., Holsinger, L. M., & Young, M. K. (2014). Evidence of climate-induced range contractions for bull trout in a Rocky Mountain watershed, U.S.A. PLoS ONE, 9, e98812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, J. M. (1994). Quantitative ecology and the brown trout. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ErÅ‘s, T., Olden, J. D., Schick, R. S., et al. (2012). Characterizing connectivity relationships in freshwaters using patch-based graphs. Landscape Ecology, 27, 303–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fausch, K. D., Rieman, B. E., Dunham, J. B., et al. (2009). Invasion versus isolation: Trade-offs in managing native salmonids with barriers to upstream movement. Conservation Biology, 23, 859–870.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ficke, A. D., Myrick, C. A., & Hansen, L. J. (2007). Potential impacts of global climate change on freshwater fisheries. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 17, 581–613.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furniss, M. J., Staab, B. P., Hazelhurst, S., et al. (2010). Water, climate change, and forests: watershed stewardship for a changing climate (General Technical Report PNW-GTR-844). Portland: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furniss, M. J., Roby, K. B., Cenderelli, D., et al. (2013). Assessing the vulnerability of watersheds to climate change: results of national forest watershed vulnerability pilot assessments (General Technical Report PNW-GTR-884). Portland: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gergely, K. J., & McKerrow, A. (2013). PAD-US national inventory of protected areas (U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2013–3086). Reston: U.S. Geological Survey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gresswell, R. E. (2011). Biology, status, and management of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 31, 782–812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gresswell, R. E., & Varley, J. D. (1988). Effects of a century of human influence on the cutthroat trout of Yellowstone Lake. American Fisheries Society Symposium, 4, 45–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamlet, A. F., Elsner, M. M., Mauger, G. S., et al. (2013). An overview of the Columbia Basin Climate Change Scenarios Project: Approach, methods, and summary of key results. Atmosphere-Ocean, 51, 392–415.

    Google Scholar 

  • High, B., Meyer, K. A., Schill, D. J., & Mamer, E. R. (2008). Distribution, abundance, and population trends of bull trout in Idaho. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 28, 1687–1701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell, P. J., Dunham, J. B., & Sankovich, P. M. (2010). Relationships between water temperatures and upstream migration, cold water refuge use, and spawning of adult bull trout from the Lostine River, Oregon, USA. Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 19, 96–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Independent Science Advisory Board (ISAB). (2007). Climate change impacts on Columbia River Basin fish and wildlife (ISAB Climate Change Report ISAB 2007-2). Portland: Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., & Rieman, B. E. (2013). Stream isotherm shifts from climate change and implications for distributions of ectothermic organisms. Global Change Biology, 19, 742–751.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., Luce, C., Rieman, B., et al. (2010). Effects of climate change and recent wildfires on stream temperature and thermal habitat for two salmonids in a mountain river network. Ecological Applications, 20, 1350–1371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., Wollrab, S., Horan, D., & Chandler, G. (2012a). Climate change effects on stream and river temperatures across the northwest U.S. from 1980–2009 and implications for salmonid fishes. Climatic Change, 113, 499–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., Muhlfeld, C. C., Todd, A. S., et al. (2012b). The past as prelude to the future for understanding 21st-century climate effects on Rocky Mountain trout. Fisheries, 37, 542–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., Peterson, E., Ver Hoef, J., et al. (2014). Stream isotherm shifts from climate change and implications for distributions of ectothermic organisms. Global Change Biology, 19, 742–751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaak, D. J., Young, M. K., Nagel, D., et al. (2015). The Cold-Water Climate Shield: Delineating refugia to preserve salmonid fishes through the 21st century. Global Change Biology, 21, 2540–2553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanda, N., Leary, R. F., & Allendorf, F. W. (2002). Evidence of introgressive hybridization between bull trout and brook trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 131, 772–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen, A. (2010). The charr problem revisited: Exceptional phenotypic plasticity promotes ecological speciation in postglacial lakes. Freshwater Reviews, 3, 49–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen, A., Amundsen, P. A., Dempson, J. B., et al. (2003). Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L. and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.): A review of aspects of their life histories. Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 12, 1–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leppi, J. C., DeLuca, T. H., Harrar, S. W., & Running, S. W. (2012). Impacts of climate change on August stream discharge in the Central Rocky Mountains. Climatic Change, 112, 997–1014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luce, C. H., & Holden, Z. A. (2009). Declining annual streamflow distributions in the Pacific Northwest United States, 1948–2006. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L16401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luce, C., Morgan, P., Dwire, K., et al. (2012). Climate change, forests, fire, water, and fish: Building resilient landscapes, streams, and managers (General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-290). Fort Collins: U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luce, C. H., Abatzoglou, J. T., & Holden, Z. A. (2013). The missing mountain water: Slower westerlies decrease orographic precipitation. Science, 266, 776–779.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luce, C. H., Staab, B. P., Kramer, M. G., et al. (2014). Sensitivity of summer stream temperatures to climate variability in the Pacific Northwest. Water Resources Research, 50, 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantua, N. J., & Raymond, C. L. (2014). Climate change, fish, and aquatic habitat in the North Cascade Range. In C. L. Raymond, D. L. Peterson, & R. M. Rochefort (Eds.), Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in the North Cascades region, Washington (General Technical Report PNW-GTR-892 (pp. 235–270). Portland: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantua, N. J., Tohver, I., & Hamlet, A. (2010). Climate change impacts on streamflow extremes and summertime stream temperature and their possible consequences for freshwater salmon habitat in Washington state. Climatic Change, 102, 187–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez, P. J., Bigelow, P. E., Deleray, M. A., et al. (2009). Western lake trout woes. Fisheries, 34, 424–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKelvey, K. S., Young, M. K., Knotek, W. L., et al. (2016a). Sampling large geographic areas for rare species using environmental DNA (eDNA): A study of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus occupancy in western Montana. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 1215–1222.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKelvey, K. S., Young, M. K., Wilcox, T. M., et al. (2016b). Patterns of hybridization among cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in northern Rocky Mountain streams. Molecular Ecology and Evolution, 6, 688–706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, D., Luce, C., & Benda, L. (2003). Time, space, and episodicity of physical disturbance in streams. Forest Ecology and Management, 178, 121–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mote, P. W., & Salathé, E. P. (2010). Future climate in the Pacific Northwest. Climatic Change, 102, 29–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mote, P. W., Parson, E. A., Hamlet, A. F., et al. (2003). Preparing for climatic change: The water, salmon, and forests of the Pacific Northwest. Climatic Change, 61, 45–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Northcote, T. G. (1992). Migration and residency in stream salmonids: Some ecological considerations and evolutionary consequences. Nordic Journal of Freshwater Research., 67, 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, D. P., Rieman, B. E., Horan, D. L., & Young, M. K. (2013a). Patch size but not short-term isolation influences occurrence of westslope cutthroat trout above human-made barriers. Ecology of Freshwater Fish., 23, 556–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, D. P., Wenger, S. J., Rieman, B. E., & Isaak, D. J. (2013b). Linking climate change and fish conservation efforts using spatially explicit decision support models. Fisheries, 38, 111–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poff, N. L., Brinson, M. M., & Day, J. W. J. (2002). Aquatic ecosystems and global climate change: Potential impacts on inland freshwater and coastal wetland ecosystems in the United States. Washington, DC: Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen, J. B., Robinson, M. D., Hontela, A., & Heath, D. D. (2012). Metabolic traits of westslope cutthroat trout, introduced rainbow trout and their hybrids in an ecotonal hybrid zone along an elevation gradient. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 105, 56–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieman, B. E., & McIntyre, J. D. (1995). Occurrence of bull trout in naturally fragmented habitat patches of varied size. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 124, 285–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieman, B. E., & Isaak, D. J. (2010). Climate change, aquatic ecosystems, and fishes in the Rocky Mountain West: Implications and alternatives for management (General Technical Report GTR-RMRS-250). Fort Collins: U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieman, B. E., Lee, D. C., & Thurow, R. F. (1997). Distribution, status, and likely future trends of bull trout within the Columbia River and Klamath River basins. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 17, 1111–1125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieman, B. E., Isaak, D., Adams, S., et al. (2007). Anticipated climate warming effects on bull trout habitats and populations across the interior Columbia River basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 136, 1552–1565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. E., Augerot, X., Fleishman, E., et al. (2008). Climate change, ecosystem impacts, and management for Pacific salmon. Fisheries, 33, 502–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schrank, A. J., Rahel, F. J., & Johnstone, H. C. (2003). Evaluating laboratory-derived thermal criteria in the field: An example involving Bonneville cutthroat trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 132, 100–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shepard, B. B., Sanborn, B., Ulmer, L., & Lee, D. C. (1997). Status and risk of extinction for westslope cutthroat trout in the upper Missouri River basin, Montana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 17, 1158–1172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shepard, B. B., May, B. E., & Urie, W. (2005). Status and conservation of westslope cutthroat trout within the western United States. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 25, 1426–1440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syslo, J. M., Guy, C. S., Bigelow, P. E., et al. (2011). Response of non-native laketrout (Salvelinus namaycush) to 15 years of harvest in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 68, 2132–2145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (2014). Best practices for continuous monitoring of temperature and flow in wadeable streams (EPA/600/R-13/170F). Washington, DC: Global Change Research Program, National Center for Environmental Assessment.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (2015). Recovery plan for the coterminous United States population of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). Portland: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ver Hoef, J. M., Peterson, E. E., & Theobald, D. M. (2006). Spatial statistical models that use flow and stream distance. Environmental and Ecological Statistics, 13, 449–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, S. J., Luce, C. H., Hamlet, A. F., et al. (2010). Macroscale hydrologic modeling of ecologically relevant flow metrics. Water Resources Research, 46, W09513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, S. J., Isaak, D. J., Dunham, J. B., et al. (2011a). Role of climate and invasive species in structuring trout distributions in the interior Columbia River Basin, USA. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 68, 988–1008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, S. J., Isaak, D. J., Luce, C. H., et al. (2011b). Flow regime, temperature, and biotic interactions drive differential declines of Rocky Mountain trout species under climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 108, 14175–14180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. E., Neville, H. M., Haak, A. L., et al. (2015). Climate change adaptation and restoration of Western trout streams: Opportunities and strategies. Fisheries, 40, 304–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, M. K., Isaak, D. J., McKelvey, K. S., et al. (2016). Climate, demography, and zoogeography predict introgression thresholds in salmonid hybrid zones in Rocky Mountain streams. PloS One, 11, e0163563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT, USA

    Michael K. Young

  2. U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID, USA

    Daniel J. Isaak, Matthew C. Groce, Dona Horan & David E. Nagel

  3. U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region, Missoula, MT, USA

    Scott Spaulding & Cameron A. Thomas

  4. U.S. Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest, Bozeman, MT, USA

    Scott A. Barndt

Authors
  1. Michael K. Young
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel J. Isaak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott Spaulding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Cameron A. Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Scott A. Barndt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Matthew C. Groce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Dona Horan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. David E. Nagel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael K. Young .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Jessica E. Halofsky

  2. U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Seattle, Washington, USA

    David L. Peterson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Young, M.K. et al. (2018). Effects of Climate Change on Cold-Water Fish in the Northern Rockies. In: Halofsky, J., Peterson, D. (eds) Climate Change and Rocky Mountain Ecosystems. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 63. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56928-4_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation