The Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is the only trout native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. One of nature's most exquisite forms of art, the fish's brilliant colors and intricate patterns are a small miracle.

In the clean, cold, crystal clear streams these fish call home, they are a living jewel, sprinkled and scattered throughout mountainous waters in the Southern Appalachians. Their presence in a stream is a sign of good water quality and a healthy, functional watershed.

Native Southern Appalachian brook trout are relatively small, short-lived fish. Their maximum size in the Southern Applachians is about 10 inches and few native brook trout live longer than three years. Their diet consists mostly of insects and occasionally small fish. They spawn in the fall in areas with small gravel where females lay 50-100 eggs. 

The presence of Brook Trout in a stream is a sign of good water quality and a healthy, functional, watershed. These fish were once widespread, occupying small, swift, high elevation mountain streams as well as larger rivers down to elevations of 1,600 feet. Since 1900, the brook trout has vanished from about 75% of its historical range. The initial loss was due to large-scale mechanized logging operations early in the 20th century. Clearcuts and subsequent fires on steep mountainsides led to soil run-off and stream siltation. In addition, trees were cut from stream banks, allowing more sunlight to reach the waterways and raising water temperatures. The brook trout is less tolerant of warm water than other trout species - it can not survive temperatures above 68 degrees. As a result, the brook trout has virtually disappeared from all streams below elevations of 3,000 feet.

The decline of the brook trout caused displeasure among anglers who longed to trout fish in the mountains. In response, around 1910, logging companies and other entities began stocking streams with non-native rainbow trout from the Western United States, brown trout from Europe, and brook trout from the Northern United States. Stocking of Northern brook trout continued into the 1950s; rainbow trout stocking did not cease in the Smoky Mountains until 1975. As a result, the brook trout must compete in its own habitat with non-native species.

Acid rain (or, more properly, acid "deposition"), continues to threaten brook trout in our Southern mountains. Air pollution, primarily from coal burning power plants and gasoline engines, is transported long distances and deposited on mountains and ridges. The high mountain reaches where brook trout are found are particularly sensitive to acidification, due to their altitude, water chemistry and geology. Many of the streams threatened by acid rain are in pristine and protected lands (such as National Parks), far from sources of polluted air. Yet, because of the distance it travels, polluted air is a problem which knows no boundaries. And now, some streams are acidified to the point where they can no longer support brook trout.

Acid rain, sediment in our streams, habitat damage, and non-native fish threaten the future of our beautiful Brookies. Brook trout are considered an aquatic "canary in the coal mine"...in other words, their disappearance may be an early signal that our streams, and the watersheds which purify our water, are in trouble.

The Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Chattanooga, TN, has partnered with the Tennessee Aquarium , our Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and the US Forest Service to develop the world's only Southern Appalachian brook trout display. One million visitors each year now have a chance to learn more about this beautiful fish and the connection between healthy watersheds and clean water. This exhibit:

• Showcases Southern brookies in a stream setting
• Educates the public and school children about clean water
• Provides a source of "baby brookies" for reintroduction projects
• Helps fund continued efforts to keep streams clean enough for brook trout (and subsequently clean enough for people!)

The Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited's Adopt a Brookie campaign is part of Trout Unlimited's national Back the Brookie Campaign. This campaign is a movement to conserve, protect, and restore a natural resource jewel...The Eastern Brook Trout Click here to learn more about the Back the Brookie campaign.