Coastal cutthroat trout were captured either with a backpack electroshocker (Smith-Root, Darigo, or Coffelt variable waveform shockers) or by hook and line. The adipose fin was removed from all captured fish, and each individual was measured (to the nearest mm, fork length) and weighed (to the nearest tenth of a gram). Scale samples were collected from a portion of captured fish (mortalities were preserved for otolith extraction and gut content analysis). A portion of each size class greater than 70 mm in mainstem Camp Creek and in the two accessible tributaries were marked with a PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag. Coastal cutthroat trout in the two inaccessible tributaries received fin clips to aid in identifying movement out of those tributaries and into the mainstem of Camp Creek. Cutthroat trout less than 70 mm, and larger individuals that did not receive a pit tag, were fin-clipped; trout in different segments of the creek or tributaries received a different combination of fin clips to facilitate determination of original capture location.
Age and growth will be determined from scales, and estimates will be compared to those obtained from otoliths. Information obtained from repeated captures of PIT- tagged trout will be used for age and growth validation. A length frequency analysis will be used to divide coastal cutthroat trout into size-maturity classes (juvenile, sub-adult, and adult), and data will be compared by reach, segment, and tributary.
Radio telemetry was conducted to monitor movement of adult (>150 mm) coastal cutthroat trout during periods of high discharge when other sampling methods were not effective. In January and February 2000, tags were surgically implanted in one randomly selected individual in each stream reach along the 5-km mainstem of Camp Creek. Radio tagged fished were tracked during the day three to six times a week from 21 January to 29 June 2000. Nocturnal observations were made on eight separate occasions. Subsequently, location (+- 3 m) of each radio- tagged fish was recorded daily (both during the day and at night).
From 25 February to 19 June 2000, a fish trap (1.7-m rotary screw trap) was installed below the waterfall at the beginning of the study site to capture downstream migrating coastal cutthroat trout. The trap was checked daily for emigrating trout. All fish captured were weighed and measured and examined for fin clips or PIT tags. Unmarked and marked fish were given a unique Atrap@ fin clip and taken upstream of the screw trap 150 m and released. Recaptured Atrap@ fish will enable the calculation of trap efficiency that will result in an estimation of total emigration.
Ten recording thermographs (Optic Stow-Away Temp unit) were placed in the basin (one at the upper and lower end of the mainstem, one in each tributary, and one in the mainstem above the confluence of each of the four tributaries). Probes were set to take temperature readings every 1.5 hours. Discharge pattern was monitored with a stream staff gauge placed at the lower portion of the study site; readings were calibrated twice per month with a flow meter (Swotter flow meter). A rain gauge measured precipitation in the area.