McDermitt Creek

McDermitt creek

The Quinn Management Unit (QMU) includes the USGS Upper Quinn (HUC 16040201) and Lower Quinn (HUC 16040202) hydrologic units, but excludes the Summit Lake subbasin, which is geographically isolated from the Quinn River drainage. QMU LCT are adapted to life within semi-arid fluvial systems and are genetically distinct from LCT found in other Management Units. This unit receives the lowest amount of precipitation compared to other LCT units and thus has fewer systems that can support larger, more resilient LCT populations. However, it contains several higher-elevation mountain ranges (i.e., Montana, Santa Rosa) that have climate-resilient properties. The potential to reconnect and/or actively manage isolated LCT populations and reintroduce LCT into larger habitat fragments is present within the QMU, albeit limited due to the arid, lower elevation nature of this unit. There are currently 10 potential LCT recovery populations in the QMU (Figure 9C), however none of them are resilient enough to meet recovery objectives. Overall, populations within this unit ranked low in effective population size and genetic diversity; this is likely because these populations are generally in small headwater streams, with lower abundances.

The updated objectives for LCT in the QMU are as follows:

QMU 1) Remove threats (i.e., competition, predation, hybridization) associated with non-native trout species to allow for the formation and/or maintenance of QMU LCT populations identified in QMU objectives 3–5; and

QMU 2) Ensure all habitats required to meet QMU objectives 3–5 function ecologically. In some cases, this may require restoration and/or management changes; and

QMU 3) Provide enough stream/river habitat to allow for the expression of migratory life-history characteristics in at least 1 recovery population (i.e., interconnected population); and

QMU 4) Establish at least 2 additional recovery populations that are spatially separated from each other, and the interconnected population required by QMU objective 3; and

QMU 5) Maintain existing (or establish new if necessary), isolated populations that cannot individually meet the recovery population benchmarks provided in this document. Actively manage those populations together based on guidance provided in the pending LCT Genetics Management Plan to result in at least 2 additional recovery populations.