Nationwide, non-native species like brown trout and Eastern brook trout have displaced the threatened greenback and even reproduced with it, based on mitochondrial DNA analysis. Here's a look at why Greenbacks are the center of such fascination!
Greenbacks were declared extinct in the early 1900s, a result of extensive mining in the Arkansas and South Platte River drainages. But they were rediscovered in the 1950s, and biologists now say five of the nine “relic populations” in isolated areas of the Colorado River are actually Colorado cutthroats - a subspecies that may have been used to revive and reintroduce greenback populations.
So greenbacks do still exist, and they are in the Estes Park area. You can even fish for them (catch and release only). The threat in their native range remains high, but you may have luck - so bring along your camera!
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Things to know:
Region: Estes Park
Average temperature: Low 18 degrees, high 79 degrees F.
Average population: Approximately 6,200
Total area: 5.82 square miles
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