Movement patterns and habitat selection of Lahontan cutthroat trout during streamflow recession in a Great Basin stream

The findings from this study suggest that stream-resident trout movement occurs when absolutely necessary, such as escaping drying reaches or avoiding risk of predation in shallow water. We suggest that watershed managers implement low-flow hydrologic monitoring to identify vulnerable stream reaches, with an emphasis on preserving streamflow connectivity for stream-rearing salmonids. Additionally, this emphasizes the importance of tracking movements for species of interest as a strategy to identify factors potentially reducing population fitness.