Piloting Bull Trout Conservation Translocations in Alberta

Bull Trout, the provincial fish of Alberta, are a key fish in streams across the mountains and foothills. Historically, these fish were abundant across western Alberta, but this iconic fish is on the decline.  Bull Trout were assessed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 2012, and continue to face challenges in recovery.

Several factors contribute to the decline of Bull Trout in the province. Habitat fragmentation from dams, culverts and weirs causes range contractions and population declines. Mining, unmanaged grazing, agriculture, forestry, and recreational development are damaging and destroying habitats by changing stream flow, increasing sediment in the creek, and warming water temperatures. Additionally, because Bull Trout grow and mature slowly, they are susceptible to population declines due to competition with non-native fish species, including Brook Trout.

A Bull Trout

Habitat rehabilitation and removal of non-native fish play important roles in the conservation of Bull Trout, but additional tools are needed to support rapidly declining populations of this species. Freshwater Conservation Canada and our partners are exploring conservation translocation to expand the range of threatened Bull Trout. Translocation is the intentional movement of a species and is often used to return individuals to areas where they were historically lost. In this case, we’re exploring the possibility of translocating Bull Trout upstream of an otherwise impassable waterfall, where suitable habitats and fewer threats are available. This would immediately expand the area occupied by the given population, providing them with additional habitat and a higher chance of persistence.

The pilot site for this restoration technique is Fall Creek.  Fall Creek is a tributary of the Ram River, and the downstream sections of this creek are in Bull Trout’s native range and provide important spawning habitat for Bull Trout. An impassable waterfall separates the upstream and downstream sections of Fall Creek, and Bull Trout are not found above the waterfall. An introduced population of Cutthroat Trout is established upstream of the falls, suggesting quality salmonid habitat exists. Translocating Bull Trout to the upper section of the creek would increase the population’s range into habitat that is expected to remain thermally suitable in the future. Before translocation, careful planning is underway with a multi-partner project team to review environmental factors, risks, and existing guidelines.

The waterfall that separates Upper and Lower Fall Creek

In 2018, Freshwater Conservation Canada worked with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to decommission off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails and to rehabilitate the banks of the fords where the trail crossed the creek. Fords were rehabilitated above and below the waterfall, with over 50 crossings rehabilitated in total. This was an important step in maintaining both current and future Bull Trout habitat.

In the early summer of 2025, we began monitoring temperatures above the waterfall. We placed 14 temperature loggers along a 10 km stretch above the falls.  Determining creek temperature is critical for the future of Bull Trout translocations in Alberta, which need cold water and are rarely found in creeks warmer than 15°C. Results of the stream temperature analysis can be found here. When we return in the spring to download the data, we will have a full year of temperature information for the upper section of the creek. If conditions look promising, Bull Trout may be translocated to upper Fall Creek as early as summer 2026!

Deploying temperature loggers in Upper Fall Creek

We are grateful to partner with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, the Alberta Conservation Association, fRI Research, and the University of Calgary on this project. This work is made possible thanks to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund, the Forest Resources Improvement Association of Alberta’s Forest Resource Improvement Program and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Nature Legacy Fund. We will be continuing work in Fall Creek over the coming years, so stay tuned for more project updates!