Westslope Cutthroat Trout

The westslope cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki lewisi) was once common in western North America. Today, it has disappeared from most of its former range due to habitat loss and hybridization (cross-breeding) with introduced rainbow trout. In British Columbia, the westslope cutthroat is at risk of extinction. One of the last strong-holds of this fish is the Kootenay River basin of south-eastern BC. Kootenay National Park still has relatively pure stocks of westslope cutthroat and as part of its mandate to conserve native species and biodiversity, the park is supporting cutthroat research in its waters.