• There have been several years in a row of succesful spawning of lake-form Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in Glen Alpine Creek, the tributary to Fallen Leaf Lake. 
• Stream-form Lahontan Cutthroat Trout continue to spawn in the uppermost portion of the Upper Truckee River. 
• 5,000 Pilot Peak Lahontan Cutthroat Trout were released into Lake Tahoe in 2019, the first time the original Lake Tahoe strain have been re-introduced into Lake Tahoe since they went extinct in the 1930's. 

Relevance

The Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT, Oncrhynchus clarkii henshawi) is the only trout species native to the Lake Tahoe Basin and was once the top predator in Lake Tahoe’s aquatic ecosystem. Due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and the introduction of non-native aquatic species, it was extirpated in the 1930s from the Lake Tahoe Basin. It is listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

Human and Environmental Drivers

Due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and the introduction of non-native aquatic species, LCT were extirpated in the 1930s from Lake Tahoe Basin. While overfishing is no longer an issue, degraded stream habitats, fish passage blockages (culverts, etc.), and non-native aquatic species such as rainbow trout, brook trout, and lake trout still pose a significant threat to the reintroduction of LCT. The introduction of mysid shrimp (Mysis diluviana) in the 1960s, significantly altered the Lake’s food web.

Example EIP Projects

• Lower Glen Alpine Watershed Habitat Restoration Project

Management Status Rationale