In July 2016, the Hayden Pass Fire was raging in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness near Villa Grove, Colorado. In its path laid a population of rare, and genetically unique cutthroat trout found in and named after Hayden Creek. Lucky for these cutties, teams from CPW and the US Forest service crossed the fire lines and captured some of these trout, saving them from the flames. Those fish were taken to hatcheries so biologists could build back their populations over the coming years.
Flash forward to October 2021, and the ancestors of those reduced trout are being stocked high up on Pike’s Peak’s southern slope, preserving the species and their unique genes.
You can learn more about the stocking in South Ruxton Creek, here!
