Southwest Native Trout Strategy
The native trout of the Southwest are America’s most imperiled trout and one of Trout Unlimited’s most urgent conservation challenges.
These native trout of the Southwest – Gila, Apache, and Rio Grande cutthroat – are beautiful and hardy species but they are at a critical juncture. Their status continues to decline from a combination of drought, wildfire and invasion by non-native fishes.
Southwest native trout represent one of the most exciting conservation opportunities for North American coldwater fisheries in our lifetimes. Apache, Gila and Rio Grande cutthroat trout have been swimming the rivers and streams of the Southwest for thousands of years. They truly embody the ancient spirit of the Southwest. TU’s Southwest Native Trout Strategy has as a major goal their restoration and guaranteed future.