Now is the time to catch, keep non-native species

Fall is the spawning season for brown trout and lake trout in the Rocky Mountain West, but both are non-native species that anglers target despite ecological costs. Brown trout have been labeled among the “100 worst invasive species” and can outcompete, displace, and prey on native cutthroat trout in places including parts of Utah and southwest Idaho. Lake trout pose similar risks in fewer locations; at Yellowstone Lake, the National Park Service spends more than $2 million a year to reduce predatory lake trout to support cutthroat populations. The article also highlights zebra and quagga mussels, which spread via boats and can clog dam and irrigation systems. It notes Utah found zebra mussels on the lower Colorado River and Idaho has been trying to remove them near Twin Falls on the Snake River.