It makes sense that small New England trout streams are almost totally isolated from each other, so that once the last glacier retreated ~13,000 years ago and these were reformed/repopulated there would be little movement between streams.

As to trophic dynamics with the steelhead out west, the direct question is really what is the carrying capacity of these streams for healthy salmonid populations? If the streams are undisturbed they surely produce a good standing crop of various aquatic arthropods. It just really depends on what kind of sustained "yield" we as humans impose on these systems, which shades from biomass calculations to aesthetics.

Getting preety far off topic, but steelhead, spending as much time as they do in the ocean, are subjected a whole slew of variables stream trout never see. Also increased protection over the years affects return rates. Not really an answer, but all I got.

Perhaps it is getting too far off topic, but this survival issue is something I'm very curious about, so I would like to see this information.

Yes, steelhead spend much of their time at sea, but they remain in freshwater the first year or so, return many times a year to breed, and return prior to sexual maturity to mature in fresh water for mating. More than enough dependence on inland stream ecology for the stream food web to be critically important. Very different from salmons dependence.

Anyway, enough off topic, but I would still like release information for those summer steelhead.

Something encouraging that I'd heard before but saw in the TU link I posted above, is that the streams that still have breeding brookies in modern times seem to be genetically unique, not only from hatchery trout, but even from stream to stream. That's why I am so excited to have discovered breeding populations in the heavily developed suburbs of Boston. If they can hang on after thousands of years of human harvest [I found remains of native american weirs], not to mention the devestation of the last 300, maybe there's hope for the future.

So they do not interbreed with introduced brookies? interesting. Is that due to how much larger stocked brookies are than natives leading to a predator/prey relation thus eliminating interbreeding or due to other factors.

Aparently Dublin Lake in NH had two subspecies of brook trout once that aparrently didn't interbreed. Sadly the silver strain died. (assuming taxonomists are not still debating if the silver trout is a brookie subspecies or the species savelinus agasizzi)

So they do not interbreed with introduced brookies? interesting. Is that due to how much larger stocked brookies are than natives leading to a predator/prey relation thus eliminating interbreeding or due to other factors.

I can only assume it's because the natives are hardier and more suited to the specific stream and the stocked trout don't contribute enough recruits to substantially influence the bloodline. Just an unscientific guess.

I know in NC the native brook trout will readily interbreed with introduced brook trout

I know in NC the native brook trout will readily interbreed with introduced brook trout

This may be true, but they primarily stock low elevation streams. They do not stock brook trout into small high elevation streams. The small high elevation streams are the only refuge for the southern brook trout. The low elevation streams are already bastardized with rainbows, browns, and of course hatchery brookies. The remaining populations of native brookies are isolated and protected largely from upstream migration of these three introductions by large water falls, and excessively steep streams. The streams they stock are, lets call them sacrifice streams, and have had most of their brook trout out competed by rainbows and browns already. Head up on to the blue ridge parkway at its higher elevations, and you will find that every tiny blue line on the map holds brook trout only. These streams are so small, and generally uninteresting to fishermen that the DNR will likely never stock them with anything else. One area that I will mention publicly is the graveyard fields area on the blue ridge. You will catch only brookies if you fish the stream in this area.

I agree with what you guys are saying, but the streams that they are stocking northern brook trout in, are simply no longer native brook trout habitat. Makes it kind of a moot point. If there are browns, and rainbows in the water, might as well forget about native brookies, so why not stock some hatchery junk.

In the past high elevation streams were stocked with other strains of brook trout and now many NC populations are mixed but most are still native southern strain.

I believe the wildlife folks went around and sampled each brook population to determine their origin.