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[#0000FF]There was an article in today's Salt Lake Tribune about a new theory of how lake trout got into Yellowstone Lake back in the 90's. It was originally blamed on bucket biology but new thinking suggests the invaders may have got there by swimming.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF][url "https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wyoming/articles/2018-06-03/officials-consider-whether-lake-trout-swam-to-yellowstone?int=undefined-rec"]LINK TO US NEWS ARTICLE[/url]
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Interesting read Pat. Thanks for sharing.
After reading it, I still go with the bucket biology theory. I think that if they got there by swimming and passing through falls, they would have been native all along.
That's one of those questions I hope to find the answer to when I get on the other side.
--- Coot ---
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[#0000FF]The nearby availability of macks...for bucket biologists...leads most experts to point to the intentional introduction of the invaders. As you point out, "natural" appearance is a lot less likely.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I suppose there are a lot of things that we can learn, when we go to "the other side". First would be that there really is an other side. Next would be whether fishermen are allowed and if the fishing is any good. Eternal punishment would be a NO to either or both of the last two questions.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Without direct first hand knowledge, there are a lot of things we either have to accept on faith...or reject for lack of evidence. A whole lot of questions in life that fall into the category of "nebulous ponderosities".[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I haven't fished Yellowstone for many years...since before the macks arrived. And I doubt I will ever have the opportunity or desire to fish it again. So I really don't have a personal interest in the ecology of the lake. But it does rankle me whenever I see the results of bucket biology gone wrong.
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I wish they would explain in the article if that creek flows into or out of Yellowstone Lake. If it flows into Yellowstone River below Yellowstone Falls, there is no way that Lake Trout got into Yellowstone Lake the way they are researching.
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Thanks TubeDude. This was a very interesting read (I never knew Lake Trout made these long distance forays up tributary streams).
I still think that all (even the man with the theory) agree that it is a thousand times more likely that it was an illegal stocking. Easily proven by this "ear study" they refer to, so not even worth debating really.
It has been a disaster for Yellowstone though. 47 species of animals relied on the annual spawning run of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout that invaded the tributaries of the SE quadrant. Those runs went from "walk across their backs" numbers to less than 10 recorded at one point following the Laker introduction... effectively shrinking a large portion of Grizzly Bear habitat (among others). No telling how long it will take nature to reset the table if they can restore the Cutt's to somewhere near their original numbers.
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[#0000FF]Vain and selfish people sometimes think they know more or better than those whose job it is to help maintain an ecosystem. They randomly scatter new species into places they do not belong and the results may forever alter that system.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]But that is probably giving more credit than those people deserve. They are obviously incapable of rational thought.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]My only memories of Yellowstone are from my childhood...as a youngster in Idaho. It was an annual vacation for multiple members of our family to make a multi-vehicle camping trip to Yellowstone each summer. Watching the big cutts at Fishing Bridge was one of our big delights. I understand that is no longer an option. Still a bridge but not much fishing.
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[#0000FF]Those who manage the park have also made some missteps...like eradicating the wolves and allowing the elk herds to self destruct from lack of predator thinning.
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[#0000FF]Mama Nature can do a fine job when left alone. But when humans get involved in messing with the balances everything goes haywire.
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[quote kentofnsl]I wish they would explain in the article if that creek flows into or out of Yellowstone Lake. [/quote]
Atlantic Creek flows into the SouthEast Arm of Yellowstone Lake.
Looking at Google Earth, and using Utah's hunt map application, you can see that this hypothesis is not so far-fetched.
We've seen similar things happen in the past. A very good example is the Bear Lake cutthroat and the Snake River cutthroat. Some theories suggest that Bear Lake cutthroat evolved from Snake River cutts (not Bonneville), which is explained by a similar geological situation where the Bear River drained into the Snake River.
It is also a reason why we have found native Bonneville cutthroat trout on the Pine Valley mountain, which drains into the Colorado River.
While the examples I cited above are due to a geological shift, the Pacifc Creek / Atlantic Creek geological area provides a current avenue for fish migration during high water years -- maybe?
Fish are amazing.
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Thanks PBH for the additional information.
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Looking at that basin you can plainly see it floods to the point that it is a shallow lake and fish could go anywhere from there.
I'm sure there are no fishermen in heaven because we all lie so much. Unfortunately our fate is to sit next to the lake of fire for all of eternity, wondering if there are any fish in it.
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Not so sure about that, Christ liked fishermen and hung out with them... Not sure if it was, He liked the stories or calling sinners to repentance, but hey there's a chance the waters on the other side will be even better.... Just saying Peter and Simon were both known to like their pond... Later J
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[quote PBH][quote kentofnsl]I wish they would explain in the article if that creek flows into or out of Yellowstone Lake. [/quote]
Atlantic Creek flows into the SouthEast Arm of Yellowstone Lake.
Looking at Google Earth, and using Utah's hunt map application, you can see that this hypothesis is not so far-fetched.
We've seen similar things happen in the past. A very good example is the Bear Lake cutthroat and the Snake River cutthroat. Some theories suggest that Bear Lake cutthroat evolved from Snake River cutts (not Bonneville), which is explained by a similar geological situation where the Bear River drained into the Snake River.
It is also a reason why we have found native Bonneville cutthroat trout on the Pine Valley mountain, which drains into the Colorado River.
While the examples I cited above are due to a geological shift, the Pacifc Creek / Atlantic Creek geological area provides a current avenue for fish migration during high water years -- maybe?
Fish are amazing.[/quote]
They are also thinking that many of what were previously called "greenback cutts " are now felt to be genetically Colorado River cutts that arrived at headwaters of Eastern draining creeks by similar means, and the true greenback cutts are a much more narrowly distributed fish, all based on genetic studies.
Not exactly the same comparison but didn't one of your family catch a somewhat scraggly looking lake trout in Lake Powell?
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[quote doggonefishin]
Not exactly the same comparison but didn't one of your family catch a somewhat scraggly looking lake trout in Lake Powell?[/quote]
Dad has caught a lake trout on 2 different occasions on Lake Powell. Both times he pulled the trout from striper schools bait fishing at the dam. Those lake trout must have thought they were in hell....
Dad also caught a northern pike casting to a striper boil up at Hite.
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