In recent years, declining numbers of red-legged and yellow-legged frogs — commonly found in high altitude lakes — has been blamed in part on stocked trout, and lead to reduced stocking of trout in alpine lakes in the Sierras and Cascades.
Those population declines may have nothing to do with trout, at least according to this story from the Stockton Record:
A new report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that a chytrid fungus - not trout - is killing red-legged and yellow-legged frogs in high country lakes in the Sierra and Cascade ranges, causing declines in their populations.
The report summarizes a study undertaken by Cal and UC Santa Barbara scientists that looked into the relationship between frogs and trout. The study was conducted in nearly 10,000 lakes and streams in California.
Because of environmentalist concerns about the decline in frogs, the Department of Fish and Game suspended planting many high country waters with hatchery-reared trout, crippling sport anglers and reducing rural tourism, thereby hurting local economies.
I have no idea if stocking will resume anytime soon (we’re mostly talking about fingerlings, not grown stockies intended to hit the creel as soon as possible), but it’s good news for backcountry types.
[tags]fly fishing, fishing, yellow legged frog, chytrid fungus, trout[/tags]
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