Native trout in the western United States suffer a high degree of imperilment. This is epitomized by Cutthroat Trout, a group of 14 subspecies, most of which have been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Trout require certain temperatures at particular times of the year to ensure successful reproduction, while temperatures that are too cold can stunt these processes, temperatures that are too warm can be lethal. Therefore, temperature is a water quality parameter crucial to the persistence of native Cutthroat Trout.

A key component to successful conservation and reclamation of Cutthroat Trout habitat is addressing the current and future water quality (thermal regimes, water chemistry, and invertebrate communities) of sites. This project will develop tools to determine which areas of the park are most suitable for establishing additional cutthroat populations by documenting the current and future Cutthroat Trout thermal habitat in ROMO.