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Restoring native fish species in the Great Basin
Brett Roper, Aquatic Ecologist, USDA Forest Service and Utah State University, Logan, UT
The aquatic species within the Great Basin are diverse and unique but face threats similar to other aquatic species throughout the United States. Those threats include habitat degradation, exotic species, water uses, and an increasing number of humans choosing to live in the region. Aquatic restoration effort in this region can be either simpler or more complex than in other regions depending upon the species and its habitat. The simplicity comes for the large amount of public land and the relative low human population density within the Basin. The difficulty lies with this being one of the driest regions in this nation and the increasing demand on limited water resources. Types of successful restoration efforts range from the small scale of maintaining springs to the large scale of reconnecting disconnected stream habitats.
Email: broper@fs.fed.us