Exploring the fishes and deep history of the North Fork Pit River, California

Authors: Stewart B. Reid, Neneekah Forrest, Marissa Fierro

Year: 2016 (xlviii)

Abstract

The North Fork Pit River is the historical outlet of Goose Lake and, as such, forms the northernmost headwaters of the Sacramento River Drainage. Goose Lake itself has not overflowed since the late 1800’s. This project, initiated in 2016, is a collaboration between the Pit River Tribes and Western Fishes with the goal of establishing the historical, current and potential fish fauna of the North Fork Pit River to aid with management and promote greater awareness of the role the river has played in tribal life. Th e project combines current fish surveys with examination of historical records from earlier surveys, museum records, and travelers’ diaries. The second primary goal of the project is to survey and document traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of fishes and ecological conditions, both in the local tribal community and inferred from ethnographic accounts, language and traditional stories. Native fishes include Pit-Klamath Brook Lamprey, Entosphenus lethophagus ; Sacramento Pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus grandis ; Hardhead, Mylopharodon conocephalus ; Northern Roach, Lavinia mitrulus ; Pit-Goose Tui Chub, Siphateles thalassinus ; Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus ; Western Sucker, Catostomus occidentalis lacuanserinus ; Pit Sculpin, Cottus pitensis ; and Redband Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp..