Silver King Creek
Map SatelliteDue to the barrier effect of Llewellyn Falls on Silver King Creek at the lower end of Upper Fish Canyon, a distinct subspecies of trout, the Piute cutthroat trout, Salmo clarki seleniris, has evolved in the creek and its tributaries above the falls. It is also found in two tributary creeks below the falls, which have their own impassable falls. The Lahontan cutthroat, Salmo clarki henshawi, common in the Carson drainage, appears to have been the ancestor.
The flora of the area is typical of similar geographical settings on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. Lodgepole and particularly subalpine forests cover well over half of the area. Upper Fish Canyon contains a large wet meadow with a meandering stream bordered by quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides. There are several beaver ponds.
Integrity: There is light grazing in the valley and some trails and roads in the area. The fish, which will readily hybridize with rainbows and other cutthroats, have been planted in several other streams to assure their survival. Silver King and some of the tributaries have been closed to fishing.
Use: Observation, research
Ref: Snyder, J. 0., 1934. A New California Trout. Calif. Fish & Game Vol. 20 (2), p. 105-112.
McAfee, W. R., 1966. Piute Cutthroat Trout. In Alex Calhoun (ed.) Inland Fisheries Management. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, p.. 231-33.
April 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman