New Chinook salmon & bull trout GIS StoryMap
Bull trout, pictured here, are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Photo credit: Anna Buschbacher, IRU staff
Chinook salmon and bull trout are both iconic species in the state of Idaho. Our state is full of incredible rivers that serve as critical habitats for these fish. Historically, Chinook salmon and bull trout have had astounding numbers every year, until anthropogenic activities and climate change started to take a toll on local populations.
Dams, mining, and other extracting projects decrease the access to habitat for Chinook salmon and bull trout. Along with physical obstacles, these projects influence water temperatures and water quality, making a once perfect habitat for fish now an undesirable river. As a result of human intervention and climate change, both of these native species are now listed under the Endangered Species Act.
To bring awareness to the dwindling populations of Chinook salmon and bull trout, the StoryMap titled, “Idaho: A Critical Home for Chinook salmon & bull trout,” displays the distribution of both species throughout Idaho, along with the challenges that influence their survival. We cannot delay efforts to restore these watersheds any longer. At Idaho Rivers United, it is a priority to restore these fish populations back to stable numbers. With Idaho containing some of the last and best available critical habitats, we are fighting to conserve our rivers to bring our fish populations back to abundance.
