Tippets: West’s “New Normal,” Brook Trout Hormones, Yellowstone Grayling, Elwha Dam Demolition Continues

September 28, 2016 By: Erin Block

  • The recent fish die offs in the Yellowstone River predict a “new normal” for fisheries due to climate change, writes Alexis Bonogofsky. “The fish kill is not just an inconvenience for fishermen. The consequences of climate change are reverberating throughout Montana’s economy.” Via Truth Out.
  • Idaho Fish and Game is pioneering research that uses a sex-altering hormone to curb unwanted populations of brook trout. “The project uses the female hormone estradiol to affect sex in a segment of the population, then selectively breeds them to get an entire population to produce one sex.” Via Magic Valley.
  • The grayling of Yellowstone National Park inhabit only a fraction of their native range. Ted Williams reports on the efforts to restore the Arctic grayling in waters throughout the park, via High Country News.
  • Boulders that remain from the Elwha Dam demolition are being blasted by crews with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as they present hazard to boaters and also fish migration. While there have been significant improvements since the work was done last year, “biologists were still concerned the boulders could limit fish passage.” Via Peninsula Daily News.