by Jim Herrig

Brook trout are the only trout native to the eastern United States.  Their numbers have diminished over the past decades to levels that threaten their extirpation in many areas.  Trout Unlimited has initiated a program – Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture – to restore these beautiful fish to portions of their original range.  The Appalachian Chapter of Trout Unlimited (Chattanooga Area) has been working with a number of partners to restore brook trout to streams in the Tellico Area on the Cherokee National Forest.

Brook Trout

Brook trout once occurred in most high elevation streams in the Southern Appalachian Mountains but these habitats were severely impacted during the exploitative logging that occurred in the 1930’s, prior to National Forest stewardship began.  Rainbow trout, from the western United States and brown trout from Europe, were introduced to replace the lost brookies.  Today all three species are present in the Southern Appalachians.  Jim Herrig, Fisheries Biologist for the Cherokee National Forest, estimates that brook trout occupy only about 16% of their original habitat on the Forest.

Rhododendron After Trimming 

Robert Wilson, President of the Appalachian Chapter of TU, says their chapter has been working with the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Aquarium and the Hiwassee Chapter of Trout Unlimited since the late 1980’s to protect and restore brook trout to several streams on the Tellico Ranger District.  They have assisted the agencies with electrofishing surveys and habitat improvements.  Recent work has included trimming rhododendron branches out of the center of stream channels to improve water flow, decrease bank erosion, and develop angler access.  The results have been dramatic – trout numbers increased by a factor of six in one year following the treatment on Big Cove Branch.

Electrofishing for Brook Trout

Another project of the partners is the restoration of brook trout to McNabb Creek.  The habitat in this stream was destroyed in the 1970’s when the Tellico-Robbinville Road was being built.  An acidic rock formation was exposed and leached acid into the stream.  Efforts to neutralize the acid failed and the stream remained lifeless for decades.  Recent surveys indicated that McNabb Creek was gradually recovering – small numbers of rainbow and brown trout as well as creek chubs were present in the stream but not reproducing.  In 2005, the Forest Service treated the stream headwaters with very pure limestone sand to neutralize the remaining acid.  Later that spring reproduction was documented for both rainbow trout and creek chubs in McNabb Creek.  In August, 2005 the Appalachian Chapter of TU led the partners in an effort to remove the rainbow trout and replace them with native brook trout.  As of this April of 2006, the brook trout are alive in McNabb Creek; whether they are able to reproduce will be determined by electrofishing in June.  Everyone hopes this latest effort at restoring the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout will be a success!

Jim Herrig Stocking Broot Trout into McNabb Creek