The California golden trout, California's official state fish, may need to be protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has determined.

The USFWS, complying with a court order, has completed an initial review - called a 90 day finding - on a petition filed by Trout Unlimited to list the species as endangered. The USFWS has determined that "substantial evidence" exists to support the petitioned action.

Next, the USFWS will complete a 12 month review to decide whether or not to propose the California golden trout for listing as threatened or endangered. At the end of the review, the agency will determine whether listing is "not warranted," "warranted" or "warranted but precluded" based on other higher priority species.

An endangered species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout "all or a significant portion" of its range. A threatened species is one that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. "No final decision has been made," said Steve Thompson, manager of the USFWS California/Nevada Operations Office.

At the same time it is doing the 12 month review, the USFWS will work with the state Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies and stakeholders on updating and refining a 1999 conservation strategy for the trout. Effective conservation measures in place at the time of the 12 month finding could reduce or prevent any need to list the species.

California golden trout are now limited to two watersheds - the Golden Trout Creek drainage and the headwaters of the South Fork Kern River. Both are in the Golden Trout Wilderness - part of the Inyo National Forest - in some of the highest watersheds in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

The California golden trout has experienced a decline in its range as well as abundance. Declines in populations are a result of hybridization with introduced rainbow trout and competition with introduced brown trout.

Genetic studies have shown that fish in most reaches in the two watersheds show some level of hybridization. The fish have also been affected by livestock overgrazing.