Changes in a Stream Population of Trout Associated with Increased Silt

Abstract

Low standing crops of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, were closely associated with silting in Ellerslie Brook, Prince Edward Island, and appeared to result from the destruction of hiding places. Spawning was also curtailed by silting. Following scouring, trout stocks soon increased. The remarkable adaptability of trout to silting, in a habitat with favourable flow and water temperature, was illustrated.