Parks Canada is celebrating the successful return of a threatened fish species to its original habitat in Banff National Park. The federal agency announced that westslope cutthroat trout are now naturally spawning and repopulating Hidden Lake near Lake Louise after over ten years of restoration efforts.
Aquatics specialist Shelley Humphries from Parks Canada’s Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay field unit expressed excitement over the self-sustainability of the fish population. She mentioned that the success was expected, drawing inspiration from similar initiatives in the United States that have led to the removal of threatened status for certain species.
Efforts to remove invasive brook trout began in 2011 but were ineffective, prompting the use of rotenone, a natural fish poison, in 2018 and 2019 to eradicate the brook trout population. Starting in 2021, the team introduced trout eggs into Hidden Lake for four consecutive years, resulting in successful spawning and the appearance of mature fish this year.
Humphries emphasized the importance of ongoing monitoring, with hopes that the fish will expand beyond Hidden Lake to utilize streams and creeks for spawning. She highlighted the positive population status and the need for the fish to spawn in various stream locations in the future.
The westslope cutthroat trout, which historically inhabited a vast area from the northern to the southern edges of Banff National Park, faced habitat disruption due to recreational fishing and the introduction of non-native species like brook trout in the past century. Humphries acknowledged the corrective nature of the current restoration work, emphasizing the imminent recovery potential of the fish.
In addition to Hidden Lake, Parks Canada is undertaking similar conservation projects in locations such as Helen Lake, Cascade Creek, Katherine Lake, and Corral Creek. Future initiatives are planned to protect threatened bull trout, with a focus on preserving species at risk and enhancing the ecological balance for other wildlife in the region.
Humphries underscored Parks Canada’s commitment to safeguarding endangered species, stating the agency’s determination to combat species decline and ensure their survival.