Fourth-grader helps restore native cutthroat trout in Utah

Mike Slater with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources gets help from 9-year-old Owen Wilson as they release fingerling Bonneville cutthroat trout back in their native waters of Mill Creek just east of Salt Lake City.

By Brett Prettyman

MILL CREEK CANYON — Owen Wilson could have picked anything as his topic when the fourth grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary announced a personal exploration project. Other kids in his Salt Lake Valley school picked things like origami and cooking.

After carefully mulling the possibilities, Owen picked trout as the topic for the in-depth and yearlong project.

Luckily, his mom knew people at Trout Unlimited who could help the 9-year-old with his “PX” as the kids call it.

“I like trout and I wanted to find out a little more about them,” Owen said of his decision. He was answering a question from Mike Slater, a regional aquatic program manger with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

MIllcreek2105release1.jpg

Owen Wilson, with some help from his mom, Kathleen, interviews Utah Division of Wildlife Resources aquatic program manager Mike Slater about native Bonneville cutthroat trout.

Slater, having heard about Owen’s project, invited the young man to join in as the state continued its efforts to restore native cutthroat Bonneville cutthroat trout in Mill Creek Canyon on a recent fall day. Owen and his mom, Kathleen, met Slater and 6,000 fingerling cutthroat trout at the top of Mill Creek Canyon just east of Salt Lake City.

Owen waited for a local television station to finish an interview and then took his turn firing important questions at the biologist.

“What is special about these trout?” Owen asked.

Slater answered through a big smile.

“We get to put fish back into the stream where they once lived probably 150 years ago,” he answered. “Since then different kinds of species have been stocked here.”

Owen WIlson releases fingerling Bonneville cutthroat trout into Mill Creek.

Slater went on to explain that, due to public interest, the state introduced other fish like brown trout and rainbow trout over the native cutthroat trout.

“I think we have learned a lot. Browns like to eat cutthroat and rainbows like to breed with them,” he told the young student. “We are bringing back native cutthroat and that is the only trout that will be here.”

With the interview over, the two headed for Mill Creek to release the 6,000 fingerling Bonneville cutthroat. The fish released in late October are part of a multi-year process in which the creek was placed in three segments. Each segment will be treated with rotenone twice to remove all fish from the creek and then have fish reintroduced.

2015cuttrelease.jpg

This was the second stocking of fish on the upper portion and the first time the middle section of Mill Creek received the native fish. Owen continued asking questions as the pair stopped at locations along the creek to the release the trout.

“My class is also doing the Adopt a Trout program,” he told Slater. “What do fish eat?”

The answer came back as insects in different stages of life, but another more shocking answer came when the party stopped and released the fingerling where the fish from last year’s planting were waiting to welcome the new recruits. Proving that the project is working, the older fish – now between 6- to 8-inches – started chasing, and then eating, some of their fellow species.

“That’s so cool,” Owen yelled.

Slater didn’t seem quite as excited, while muttering something about that’s how nature works.

Brett Prettyman is the Intermountain Communications Director over Utah, Wyoming and Nevada for Trout Unlimited. He is based out of Salt Lake City.