Quantitative survey of invertebrate populations, physical habitat characteristics and water chemistry in Rough Creek, Bodie Creek and tributaries, Bodie Hills, Mono County, CA.

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The proposed project is to conduct a quantitative survey of invertebrate populations, physical habitat characteristics and water chemistry in Rough Creek, Bodie Creek and interconnected perennial tributaries in the Bodie Hills, Mono County, CA. The proposed project is a collaborative effort of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bishop Field Office, and the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Laboratory and Marine Science Institute, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) to collect, compile, and evaluate data about aquatic invertebrate populations and associated habitat conditions in the project area. The proposed project is also part of a larger cooperative effort of the Walker River Implementation Team (WRIT), of which BLM is a member, to support recovery of Lahontan cutthroat trout, a Federally Threatened listed species. The data generated by this effort will substantially increase BLM’s understanding of existing invertebrate populations and associated physical habitat characteristics and water chemistry in the project area. The proposed project will also provide both relevant and timely information for evaluation of the potential establishment of a meta-population of Lahontan cutthroat trout in these waters in support of recovery efforts. Data relevant to recovery efforts collected as part of the proposed project would: 1) Document existing invertebrate populations and associated physical habitat characteristics, and 2): Ensure adequate environmental analysis of possible impacts to existing invertebrate populations that could result from treatments required to remove non-native trout prior to any re-introduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout. Cooperative agreement will be issued against the Master Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, (CCESU) Cooperative Agreement.

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