Rocky Mountain sculpin (Cottus sp.) sampling in the St. Mary and Milk River watersheds, Alberta (2022) / by Robert T. Barrett, Matthew Teillet, Doug A. Watkinson, Tyana A. Rudolfsen, and Lee F. G. Gutowsky.: Fs97-13/1389E-PDF

"Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.) is a species at risk whose Canadian range is limited to the Milk and St. Mary river watersheds in Alberta and the Flathead River watershed in British Columbia. Sampling was conducted in the Alberta portion of the species' distribution to assess relative abundance and distribution following a standardized sampling protocol developed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Although Rocky Mountain Sculpin was collected in all rivers and creeks within the known range in Alberta, specimens were not collected at the upstream and downstream extent of their known distribution in the Milk River. Here, habitat is likely a limiting factor for the species. Rocky Mountain Sculpin were detected at two access points in Tough Creek and one access point in Aetna Creek. These new distribution records are a result of new sampling effort, as no sampling previously occurred at these sites. Rocky Mountain Sculpin distribution and abundance appears to be variable and dependent on changing habitat quality and quantity. It is recommended that sampling continues to follow the standardized field protocol to better understand trends in Rocky Mountain Sculpin distribution and abundance in the St. Mary and Milk river watersheds"--Abstract, page v.

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