Gabriel Sandler/Cronkite News

The Apache trout is Arizona’s state fish, and it only exists in a small part Arizona near Pinetop. It is a threatened species; however, fighting both climate change and other fish species.

The Apache trout is one of two trout species native to Arizona and is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, but rising stream temperatures threaten the long-term status of the fish.

Scientists at the University of Arizona studied the efficiency of multiple methods for cooling streams in Arizona including providing shade to streams, changing the width to depth ratio of streams and the flow of water upstream.

A grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to the Arizona Game and Fish Department helped fund the study as part of their ongoing conservation and recovery efforts for the Apache Trout.

Julie Carter with Arizona Game and Fish said the study will help the state to determine how it can best move forward in its work to sustain Apache trout populations.

"From our department’s perspective, we would use these, their recommendations like a prescription, like tools to use to help cool some of our streams where we have temperature issues. And we do have temperature issues on some of our recovery streams," Carter said.