TITLE:
Brown Trout Redd Locations in the Northernmost Section of Spearfish Creek in Spearfish, South Dakota, USA
AUTHORS:
Michael J. Robidoux, Jill M. Voorhees, Abigail Domagall, Michael E. Barnes
KEYWORDS:
Brown Trout, Redds, Spawning, Spearfish, South Dakota
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: Salmonid fish are known to reproduce throughout the Black
Hills in South Dakota, however, it is
not known when or where they are spawning or how successful their spawning is.
This study documented for the first-time brown trout (Salmo trutta) redd
locations and redd construction timing in a 1.6 km reach of Spearfish Creek,
within the northern most part of the city of Spearfish, South Dakota, USA in
2020. Redds
were first observed on October 13, 2020, with observations continuing until
November 17 when no new redds were spotted. Redd construction peaked during the
first week of November, with 52 observed. A total of 146 redds was recorded
over the course of the study, resulting in a density of 91 redds/km. This is
the first study to document redds in this section of Spearfish Creek. These observations
will allow for comparisons to future spawning activity which may be impacted by
the increased urbanization likely along this section of the creek. Hopefully, This
study can also guide future research and habitat projects throughout this
section of Spearfish Creek, and potentially throughout this region.