Colorado Parks and Wildlife employee holding a fish.
Wildlife Research
Researching Aquatics
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Research Section provides a combination of field and laboratory experimentation to answer statewide fisheries management questions, improve efficiency in production and management of aquatic species, and provide centralized fisheries management functions related to data management, stream habitat improvement and brood stock development.
Our Work
Rainbow Trout
Whirling disease is believed to be a major factor in the declines of wild rainbow trout populations across Colorado waters. Many North American native salmonid species have little to no resistance to this parasitic infection.
Thus, CPW is focusing research efforts on breeding whirling disease resistant rainbow trout strains, optimizing these strains for production in state hatcheries and for survival in the wild, and developing and managing wild brood stocks of whirling disease resistant strains.
Flathead Chub
The eastern plains streams of Colorado are home to the highest fish species diversity in the state, which historically consisted of 36 native species. Unfortunately, six species have been extirpated, and 12 more are currently listed as special status by the State of Colorado. These species are part of our state’s natural history, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is tasked with conserving them.
Cutthroat Trout
The most diverse trout species in North America, the historical distribution of cutthroat trout covers the broadest range of any stream dwelling trout in the Western Hemisphere. The rugged topography of their range has lead to isolation, which in turn has given rise to fourteen recognized subspecies.
All three remaining species have either been petitioned to be listed or are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act. Dramatic reductions in their range have been precipitated primarily by the introduction of nonnative salmonids. Specifically rainbow trout that hybridize with cutthroat trout, and brook and brown trout that tend to replace them in streams and rivers. In an effort to preserve the legacy of these fish, multi-agency conservation teams have been established for each subspecies.
Boreal Toad
Once common in montane habitats between 7,000-12,000 feet in the Southern Rocky Mountains, the boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) has experienced dramatic population declines over the past two decades. The declines appear to be related to infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which can cause a disease with a very high mortality rate. Other factors such as habitat loss may also play a role.
Mountain Whitefish
One of only two salmonids native to Colorado, the mountain whitefish was historically found in just the Yampa and White River drainages in the northwestern part of the state. Alarming declines in the Yampa River in the late 1990s spurred interest in this relatively unstudied species. Similar declines were documented in almost every other state across the native range during the same time period, while other populations in neighboring drainages often remained robust.
Video: "A Toad Pond" - CPW
SPOTLIGHT
Featured Project
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with partners on the Boreal Toad Conservation Team, have been hard at work to insure that the State Endangered Boreal Toad does not disappear from high elevation wetland habitats in our state. This short documentary, created by CPW Aquatic Conservation Technicians in the NE Region, celebrates Boreal Toads as well as a variety of other species, big and small, that depend on the same habitat.
Aquatic Research
Research Library
The Research Library was created in the late 1960s to provide support primarily to the wildlife research sections. The Research Library evolved to serve the broader information management needs of CPW staff. Library collections are focused on wildlife ecology and associated ecological information and CPW public historical records such as Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting agendas and minutes.
Aquatic Research Database
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) developed a database to provide current and historic scientific data on the status and trends of the state’s fisheries. The database is updated throughout the year. CPW fish biologists and other fishery professionals - including federal agencies, academics and consultants – continually contribute data.
Research Software
JakeOmatic Version 2.42
This fish survey analysis program is designed for fishery professionals to analyze lake, stream and river data typically gathered during routine surveys. Common analyses such as the generation of length frequency histograms, population estimates, biomass estimates, relative weight, and relative stock density are all provided.
WaTSS Version 3.0
This software currently calculates a raft of commonly used temperature metrics including average daily, weekly, monthly, and rolling average temperatures, as well as maximum temperatures, accumulated degree days, maximum weekly maximum temperature (MWMT) and maximum 30-day average temperature all over user specified ranges. Please read the manual for more details.
Download:
WaTSS executable zip (120 MB)
Fish Telemetry
This is companion software for Chapter 14 in the AFS book "Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data. This program performs three basic functions that are commonly used in the analysis of fish telemetry data.
- Calculates the distance from fish locations to the nearest shoreline.
- Determines if the distribution of fish locations are random (and provides a means to generate a distribution of the test statistic so that a P-value can be assessed).
- Evaluates if habitat selection is occurring, and whether fish are selecting for habitat types in a similar fashion.
- Calculates selection ratios for various habitat types.
Download:
Fish Telemetry executable zip
Fish Telemetry Chapter 14 - (2007) Chapter 14 of the aforementioned "Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data." This is companion software for Chapter 14 in the AFS book "Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data.
Meet the Research Team
The Aquatics Research team conducts scientific investigations to develop the necessary knowledge, techniques and procedures to effectively manage Colorado's aquatic wildlife. Get to know our researchers and learn more about their respective areas of expertise and current research projects.
George Schisler
- Aquatics Research Section Leader
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Aquatic Research Scientist, Eastern Plains Native Species
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Dan Kowalski
- Aquatics Research Scientist, Stream and River Ecology
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Eric Richer
- Aquatics Research Scientist/Hydrologist, Stream Habitat Investigations
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Kelly Carlson
- Aquatics Research Section Assistant
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Eric Fetherman
- Aquatics Research Scientist, Salmonid Disease and Sport Fish
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Adam Hansen
- Aquatic Research Scientist, Lake and Reservoir Ecology
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Zachary Hooley-Underwood
- Aquatic Research Scientist, Western Slope and Rio Grande Native fishes
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Kevin Rogers
- Aquatics Research Scientist, Native Cutthroat Trout
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Peter Cadmus
- Aquatics Research Scientist, Aquatic Toxicology and Water Standards
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Matt Kondratieff
- Aquatics Research Scientist, Fisheries Habitat Improvement
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Andrew Treble
- Aquatic Research Data Analyst
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Brad Neuschwanger
- Fish Research Hatchery Manager
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Tracy Davis
- Fish Research Hatchery Technician
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Andrew Perkins
- Fish Research Hatchery Technician
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife