Steelhead Trout Case Study

There are many factors that contribute to the conclusion that the steelhead trout will and will not be able to reestablish themselves in the Arroyo Del Valle presently. Some of the most important factors for the re-establishment of the trout are the relatively stable pH, adequate DO levels, and low pollution. From our graphs, it is evident that the pH of the creek is consistent around 7, which is a pH that the steelhead can establish themselves and live in. Steelhead trout require a DO level that is greater than 6 ppm, and from our graph, the Arroyo Del Valle’s DO is stable around a value of 7 ppm. This indicates that the DO levels of the creek would not inhibit the establishment of the trout compared to if DO levels were too low, which in that case would mean the trout could not conduct necessary activities for their survival (e.g. cellular respiration). We observed that the creek had low pollution from the abundance of pollution-intolerant species such as the caddis fly larvae and the bullfrog. The bullfrog sighted was larger than normal, indicating long lasting stable low …show more content…
There are too many black bass for the steelhead to be able to leave their offspring there and be able to survive and mature. Additionally, since there has been so much human activity in the past, it would not be a surprise for humans to interfere with the creek ecosystem again and destroy it, especially with the cattails being such a risk for flooding and needing to be destroyed by some way, which may turn out to be through herbicides. Using the quantitative data from the one day we visited the creek, and the qualitative from the other day, we conclude that no, the steelhead cannot reestablish themselves in the creek