I have always wondered where and how the government of Alberta acquired their Rainbow Trout fry. This article will give the reader a good idea on where the Bow River Rainbow Trout came from. How they were interbred and what the future looks like for our Rainbow Trout population here in Calgary on the Bow River as well as across the province. Surplus trout eggs, produced by the Department of Sustainable Resource Development are available to Alberta’s private aquaculture operators. The self-sufficient nature of the provincial program requires that the two government brood trout stations rear sufficient numbers of trout brood stock to ensure the continued genetic diversity of our captive breeders. Surplus brown trout, eastern brook trout, and rainbow trout eggs are offered for sale to qualified purchasers from November to mid February. Rainbow trout eggs have generated the greatest interest since eyed eggs were first offered for sale in 1997 and are available from both “certified and uncertified” disease free stock.

The Allison Creek Brood Trout Station in the Crowsnest Pass and the Raven Brood Trout Station near Caroline produce the majority of trout eggs for Alberta’s trout stocking program. Eggs for the other salmonid stocking programs (Arctic grayling, cutthroat trout, and bull trout) are collected from wild spawning operations. Up until the late 1970’s, the provincial government purchased all rainbow trout eggs from private sector producers in the US. Concerns over the importation of fish diseases with eggs and regular trout egg shortages led to the development of our own brood stock program.

Initially, eggs were collected from mature fish and as the effort showed success, egg purchases were phased out. The trout rearing station at Raven was converted to a brood facility in 1980 and the Allison Creek Brood Trout Station was opened in 1982. The rainbow trout stock at Raven began as eggs imported to Calgary’s Sam Livingstone Fish Hatchery from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms located in northern California.

The success of the Mt. Lassen strain as a fast grower, excellent survivor, and good sporting fish has led to the continued maintenance of this strain. An experimental enhancement was conducted in the mid 1990’s when the Mt. Lassen eggs were crossed with males from natural spawning rainbow trout from Pekisko Creek, a tributary to the Bow River. However, the “pure” strains of Mt. Lassen rainbows were found to have superior characteristics on all counts. The trial cross has now been retired and Raven has returned to the exclusive use of the Mt. Lassen strain.The Allison station currently uses two distinct strains. In 1985/86, four rainbow trout strains and seven crosses were evaluated for egg production suitability. These stocks originated from: Troutlodge (Oregon), Beity Hatcheries (Washington), Mt. Lassen (California), and Pennask/Beaver Lake (British Columbia). A variety of strains and crosses were used up until 1989 when the Beity strain (BEBE) and the Beity x Pennask/ Beaver Lake (BEBL) had exclusive use. The BEBL strain was back-crossed with the BEBE’s in 1990. This strain is still referred to as the Beity x Beaver Lake cross and is used alternately (two year alternation) with the pure Beity rainbow trout strain.

Since the establishment of cultured rainbow trout strains in Alberta, both Raven and Allison use a system of rotational three line crossing to maintain genetic integrity. Laboratory analysis has shown that this system has been successful in maintaining genetic diversity in rainbow trout stocks. So, that is the origin of the three strains of rainbow trout used in government fish culture operations. What are the origins of the strains of rainbows originally brought into Alberta? Well that is the subject of recollection, opinion, and incomplete records. With some degree of certainty, those strains originated with the Shasta, Arlee, Montana, and Donaldson varieties of rainbow trout in the northwest United States and Beaver Lake in British Columbia. One thing we CAN say for sure is that the rainbow trout is native to the Pacific Northwest, intermountain and east slope regions of North America and is now a popular hatchery and sport fish all over the world. Aren’t we lucky! I will gather information on the Brown Trout that occupy the Bow River system and post an article on the Brown Trout Information page of the Blog.