Projects

Great Basin Chapter Projects

Tarn Projects

The Great Basin Chapter of Trout Unlimited sponsors a number of projects related to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of our coldwater fisheries, both on our own and in conjunction with other related agencies, citizens, & organizations.

Embrace-A-Stream

The Embrace-A-Stream Program (EAS) is administered by Trout Unlimited (TU) is a one-to-one matching grant program that awards funds to TU chapters for coldwater fisheries conservation projects. All projects must advance TU's mission of conserving, protecting, and restoring coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Projects following here are those in the Great Basin Chapter's geographic area. For more information on TU's national EAS program visit their web site at www.tu.org

Goshute Project, Juab County, Utah/White Pine County, NV

Deep Creek Mountain Ranch, Bonneville Cutthroat

Great Basin Native Trout

Big Wash Creek
Snake Creek
Kious Spring
Weaver Creek
Mount Moriah
Genetics
Pruess Lake

Pilot Peak Project, Lahontan Cutthroat Recovery

Streamside Incubator Project

Trout Unlimited (TU) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are using "old refrigerators" and "ice-chest coolers" as streamside incubators to restore native salmonid populations.

The Great Basin Chapter (GBCTU) and the Utah Council (UTU) are TU's lead organizational units providing technical guidance on these incubator projects , in cooperation with the Lower Green River-Flaming Gorge Chapter (WY) and Dr. Fred Eales.

The "old fridge" was successfully developed by Dr. Fred Eales, Flaming Gorge-Lower Green River Chapter TU, Rock Springs, Wyoming (WY) in 1987. TU and its Chapter's have proven the technique during the last 15 years by hatching over 13 million eggs of twelve (12) different species and strains of salmonids. The program has been extremely successful in use across the United States in restoration of native trout, i.e. western cutthroat species, Pacific and Atlantic salmon, and eastern brook trout. In 2003-2004 the program got a boost from NASA and the U.S. Navy when, in conjunction with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe (ID) it assisted in field testing, with success, a infrared fish detector, to monitoring fry leaving the 'Ole fridge" unit on the Goshute Project (NV/UT).

The project includes a 4,500 acre riparian conservation area with 13-streammiles, two brood ponds and 3-spawning channels, set aside for Bonneville cutthroat trout recovery on the westside of the Deep Creek Mountain Range, and a series of 4-brood ponds and two spawning channels on the Deep Creek Mountain Ranch, on the eastside of the Range, operated by Buck Douglass, a TU chapter member. The NASA "test fridge" was setup and monitored on the DCMR. A link to an ARGOS satellite provided the data transmission to computer monitors so that TU could track progress of egg hatching and fry movement from the 'ole fridge as it happened. Some 1,800 BCT eggs were successfully hatched in 2004 and went into a fry brood pond on the DCMR. Fry and other juvenile BCT were used by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) for stocking other eastside streams (on BLM lands) for sportfish opportunities.

The ShoBan Tribe had successfully tested the fish detector technique the last several years for Pacific salmon and steelhead as a school project with their High School in Blackfoot, ID. The GBCTU and the UTU provide volunteers to assist the Goshute Tribe, the DCMR, and agencies to monitor and maintain the brood ponds and spawning channels for natural BCT production.

The following links provide information relative to the uses and successes of this innovative incubation technique for all aspects of salmonid restoration, recovery, conservation, and recreational projects.

Technical Overview of the Program
Specifications & Parts for Coolers
Streamside Incubators: Disinfecting and Treatment for Fungus
Sign suitable for Streamside Incubators