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Whirling Disease Found in Yellowstone Lake
This just hasn’t been a good year for Yellowstone Lake. First it was found that the illegally stocked lake trout are beginning to impact the native Yellowstone cutthroat and intensive efforts are underway to figure out how to get rid of these predators. And now whirling disease has been found in fish taken from the lake.
The discovery of fish infected with whirling disease is a major blow to the lake because the Yellowstone cutthroat is extremely vulnerable to the disease.
Yellowstone Lake has been managed for years to protect and propagate the native Yellowstone cutthroat and this effort has been a showcase for native fish management for years.
Now the native cutthroat is in serious trouble. The main source of food for the lake trout is the cutthroat trout and they are being eaten by the thousand. The whirling disease organism will disable many of the cutthroat, making them even easier prey for the lake trout.
Lake trout aren’t very susceptible to the whirling disease organism. They will get it but it doesn’t seem to kill them or cause them much trouble.
Bottom line is that the lake trout will thrive and the native cutthroat will be badly impacted. Yellowstone Lake and the native Yellowstone cutthroat are in trouble.