Eastern Brook Trout
Photo: MDIFW
Maine supports 97% of the wild brook trout waters in the eastern United States, truly representing the last stronghold for this iconic species. Historically, brook trout were common throughout the Appalachians, from Georgia to Maine. But, today, and primarily because of introduced species, habitat degradation, urbanization, and climate change, intact and self-sustaining populations of brook trout exist in only 5% of their historic sub-watersheds (Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture). Brook trout have been named the State’s “heritage fish,” and we are very fortunate to have resident populations of these “squaretails” within the Kezar Lake Watershed.
Though hardly trophy-sized (most are about 4-5” long…), wild brook trout have been documented in many of our Watershed’s streams and their tributaries, including: Andrews, Beaver, Boulder, Coffin, Cold, Great, Martin, Mill, Red Rock, Shirley, and Willard Brooks. Brook trout’s persistence in the Kezar Lake Watershed speaks to the ecological health of this landscape; KLWA hopes to preserve that condition.
In the early 2000’s the White Mountain National Forest did a significant habitat restoration project in Great Brook and some of its tributaries to improve features favorable to brook trout. They dropped and cabled large trees into the stream to create debris dams and to increase channelization. The brook trout populations responded positively with both the number and sizes of fish increasing.
Brook trout need clear, cold, well-oxygenated waters to survive. They become stressed if the water temperatures rise above 65 degrees; and temperatures above 70 can be lethal. They are also very vulnerable to silt infiltration from erosion and road run-off, with gills getting clogged and eggs smothered. Brook Trout are, literally, the canary in the coal mine. If their populations are suffering, then their waters are likely compromised.
Concerned about the possible impact of the WMNF’s upcoming Albany South timber harvest, KLWA partnered with the Forest Service to evaluate the status of brook trout populations in Great and Beaver Brooks, near the proposed logging. Through this productive collaboration, we established a three-year baseline of the healthy trout population. Both the Forest Service and KLWA’s hired fisheries biologist, Jake Riley of Stantec, produced summary reports of the three-year project.
The Brook Trout in Great and Beaver Brooks will continue to be monitored throughout the Albany South Project and for five years beyond the harvest.