Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae) surveys in Oregon and Washington 2022

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is evaluating the status of the Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae) across its range to determine whether the species merits listing under the Endangered Species Act. The USGS conducted visual surveys for Rhyacotriton cascadae at 65 sites in Oregon and Washington that were historically occupied by the species. Sites were selected from a pool of historic records that had high locational precision, were spatially independent, and were stratified across 8 subbasins identified by USFWS as priorities. We visited sites one to two times between 4 May and 12 October in 2022 and documented all amphibian species observed during 1 hour time-constrained surveys. We also collected tail clip genetics samples from up to 5 individual R. cascadae at sites where the species was found. This dataset includes counts of all amphibians observed during each site survey, as well as habitat and water sampling covariates. All activities were authorized under a 2022 ODFW Scientific Taking Permit (049-22), a 2022 WDFW Scientific Collection Permit (22-024), and a USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Animal Care and Use Protocol (ACUP 2021-001).