Trout movement and habitat use in the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, West Virginia

I quantified brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) movement and habitat use in a central Appalachian watershed, the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River over three seasons (spring/summer 2000-01, fall 2000) with telemetry. The objectives of my study were to: (1) quantify trout habitat use among seasons, and between the mainstem and Rocky Run (a major tributary), (2) quantify the effect of temperature extremes on habitat use by brook trout, (3) quantify trout movement among seasons and between the mainstem and Rocky Run, and (4) relate movement to variations in stream flow, water temperature, and access to cold water sources (CWSs). Habitat use analysis indicated that trout use a subset of available habitats in both the mainstem and Rocky Run. Specifically trout tended to occupy deeper and higher velocity habitats than expected by chance alone. Trout also tended to remain close to cover and in close proximity to extremely high velocity microhabitats. Finally, I consistently recorded colder trout focal point temperatures in the mainstem than near-by instream temperature loggers especially when instream levels were above 20° C indicating the use of mainstem CWSs (visible surface and lateral subsurface inputs through the valley alluvium, and hyporheic upwelling). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...