Kevin B. Rogers

Kevin B. Rogers

Aquatic Research Scientist
Native Cutthroat Trout

Contact Information

Aquatic Research Group
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
PO Box 775777         
Steamboat Springs, CO  80477
Phone: (970) 846-7145
Email: kevin.rogers@state.co.us

Education

• Ph.D., Fishery Science — Colorado State University, 1998
• M.S., Fishery Science — Colorado State University, 1993
• B.S., Biology — University of Colorado, 1988
• B.S., Molecular Biology  — University of Colorado, 1988

Current or Recent Positions

• Aquatic Research Scientist — Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2003-Present
• Aquatic Biologist — Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2000-2003
• Aquatic Technician — Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 1996-2000
• Research Associate — Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research, 1990-1996

Areas of Interest/Expertise

My primary research covers all aspects of cutthroat trout conservation and management but has been focused recently on developing the taxonomy of southern Rocky Mountain subspecies. In addition, I maintain ongoing projects dealing with hydroacoustics, mountain whitefish, northern pike, and tiger trout.

Current or Recent Research Projects

• Cutthroat trout taxonomy – molecular and meristic investigations
• Fitness in small populations - consequences of genetic bottlenecks
• Adaptive capacity in cutthroat trout
• Population viability
• Mechanical removal of competing non-native salmonids
• Cutthroat trout movement and habitat use in small streams
• Methods to improve success of salmonid wild spawn operations
• Hydroacoustic methods to estimate trout population and individual size
• Software development
• Temperature monitoring
• Fishery data analysis 
• Telemetry 
• Hydroacoustic data
• Bootstrapping

Select Publications

Rogers, K. B., J. R. Anderson, S. F. Brinkman and A. P. Martin. 2022. Inbreeding depression reduces fitness in Colorado’s last remaining Greenback Cutthroat Trout: consequences for management. Pages 185-194 in J. S. Gregory, editor. Proceedings of Wild Trout XIII Symposium: reducing the gap between science and public opinion. West Yellowstone, Montana. 

Herrmann, S. J., D. W. R. Nimmo, J. S. Carsella, I. V. Melnykov, C. M. Kennedy, K. B. Rogers, and L. M. Hermann-Hoesing. 2020. Differential bioaccumulation of mercury and selenium in stomach contents and tissues of three Colorado, USA, Cutthroat Trout populations. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 104:595-601.

Budy, P., K. B. Rogers, Y. Kanno, B. Penaluna, N. P. Hitt, G. P. Thiede, J. Dunham, C. Mellison, and W. L. Somer. 2019. Distribution and status of trouts and chars in North America. Pages 193-250 in J. L. Kershner, J. E. Williams, R. E. Gresswell, and J. Lobon-Cervia, editors. Trout and char of the world. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland

Zeigler, M. P., K. B. Rogers, J. J. Roberts, A. S. Todd, and K. D. Fausch.  2019.  Predicting persistence of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout populations in an uncertain future.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 39:819-848.

Bestgen, K. R., K. B. Rogers, R. Granger.  2019.  Distinct phenotypes of native Cutthroat Trout emerge under a molecular model of lineage distributions.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148:442-463

Herrmann, S, D. Nimmo, J. Carsella, C. Kennedy, K. B. Rogers, J. Wood, L. H. Hoesing, and B. V. Heuvel. 2018. Mercury and Selenium in twelve Cutthroat Trout tissues from high-elevation Colorado lakes (USA): Intraspecific and interspecific comparisons. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 147:444-458.

Rogers, K. B., K. R. Bestgen, S. M. Love Stowell, and A. P. Martin.  2018.  Cutthroat Trout diversity in the southern Rocky Mountains.  Pages 323-341 in P. Trotter, P. Bisson, B. Roper, and L. Schultz, editors.  Evolutionary biology and taxonomy of Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii), American Fisheries Society Special Publication 36, Bethesda, Maryland.

Hodge, B., K. Battige, and K. B. Rogers. 2017. Seasonal and temperature-related movement of Colorado River cutthroat trout in a low-elevation, Rocky Mountain stream. Ecology and Evolution 7:2346–2356.

Hodge, B. W., E. R. Fetherman, K. B. Rogers, and R. Henderson. 2017. Effectiveness of a fishway for restoring passage of Colorado River cutthroat trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 37(6):1332-1340.

Penaluna, B. E. A. Abadía-Cardoso, J. B. Dunham, F. J. García-Dé León, R. E. Gresswell, A.Ruiz Luna, E. B. Taylor, B. B. Shepard, R. Al-Chokhachy, C. C. Muhlfeld, K. R. Bestgen, K. B. Rogers, M. A. Escalante, E. R. Keeley, G. M. Temple, J. E. Williams, K. R. Matthews, R. Pierce, R. L. Mayden, R. P. Kovach, J. C. Garza, and K. D. Fausch. 2016. Conservation of native Pacific trout diversity in western North America. Fisheries 41:286-300.

Hodge, B. W., R. Henderson, K. B. Rogers, and K. Battige. 2015. Efficacy of portable PIT detectors for tracking long-term movement of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout in a small montane stream. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 35:605-610.

Rogers, K. B., K. R. Bestgen, and J. Epp. 2015. Using genetic diversity to inform conservation efforts for native Cutthroat Trout of the southern Rocky Mountains. Pages 218-228 in Carline, R.F., and C. LoSapio, editors.  Proceedings of the Wild Trout XI symposium, Bozeman, Montana.  

Brinkman, S. F., H. J. Crockett, and K. B. Rogers.  2013.  Upper thermal tolerance of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) eggs and fry.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:824-831.

Metcalf, J. L., S. L. Stowell, C. M. Kennedy, K. B. Rogers, J. Epp, K. Keepers, A. Cooper, J. J. Austin, A. P. Martin. 2012. Historical stocking data and 19th century DNA reveal human-induced changes to native diversity and distribution of cutthroat trout. Molecular Ecology 21:5194-5207.

Underwood, Z. E., C. A. Myrick, and K. B. Rogers. 2012. Effect of acclimation temperature and the upper thermal tolerance of Colorado River cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus. Journal of Fish Biology 80:2420-2433.

Rogers, K. B. 2010. Cutthroat trout taxonomy: exploring the heritage of Colorado's state fish. Carline, R. F., and C. LoSapio, editors. Conserving wild trout. Proceedings of the Wild Trout X Symposium, Bozeman, Montana. Available online at www.wildtroutsymposium.com

Rogers, K. B., and G. C. White. 2007. Analysis of movement and habitat use from telemetry data. M. Brown and C. Guy, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Recent Reports

Rogers, K. B., J. White, and M. Japhet.  2018.  Rediscovery of a lost Cutthroat Trout lineage in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.  Colorado Parks and Wildlife report, Steamboat Springs.

Rogers, K. B.  2015.  User manual for WaTSS 3.0 (Water temperature summary software).  Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Bestgen, K, R., K. B. Rogers, and R. Granger.  2013.  Phenotype predicts genotype for lineages of native cutthroat trout in the southern Rocky Mountains.  Final Report to U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Field Office, Denver Federal Center (MS 65412), Denver, CO. Larval Fish Laboratory Contribution 177.

Rogers, K. B.  2012. Piecing together the past: using DNA to resolve the heritage of our state fish. Colorado Outdoors 61(5):28-32

Rogers, Kevin B.