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Several streams in the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed as officials begin poisoning non-native fish in order to restore a native species.

Plans call for the re-introduction of the native Southern Appalachian brook trout into the streams, according to park officials.

The closure will start at 8 p.m. Sunday and last until Sept. 19. During that time, park biologists will introduce Antimycin A, a fish poison approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, into the streams to kill non-native rainbow trout on an 8-mile segment of Lynn Camp Prong, a half-mile section of Indian Flats Prong, Marks Creek and all tributaries of the Middle Prong of the Little River.

The affected streams will be closed to all water-related recreation during the two-week operational period. Park visitors are prohibited from entering the closed areas to minimize interference with the project and eliminate direct exposure to this chemical, which potentially can cause irritation to the eyes and nostrils, while it is being applied. In addition, backcountry campsite 28 will be closed for the first week, Sept. 7-13.

While the Middle Prong Trail and other trails in this area will remain open, hikers should be aware that project personnel will be using all-terrain vehicles on the trails to aid in the operation.

After the antimycin treatment, a second chemical (potassium permanganate) will be added to neutralize the antimycin. According to park officials, a substantial body of research has shown that, even without the antidote chemical, antimycin is quickly broken down into inert chemicals as it washes downstream, posing no threat to human health or other animals.

1,000 brook trout

Following the initial treatment phase and analysis, about 1,000 native brook trout will be collected from streams across the park and released in the renovated streams. The reintroduced brook trout population will be monitored annually. The treated sections will remain closed to angling for several years during the recovery process so brook trout populations can thrive without fishing pressure. Once the population has stabilized, the stream will be opened to recreational fishing.

"The only other fish species located here besides the non-native rainbow trout is the native black nose dace," park fisheries biologist Steve Moore said. "We will use a backpacking electrofishing technique to capture and relocate this species temporarily to holding tanks in a nearby stream before applying the chemical. Then the fish will be returned to its original habitat.

"This chemical will not harm crayfish and salamanders nor will it eliminate all aquatic insects. Insects will begin repopulating the area in one to two weeks so that food for young fish will be plentiful by next spring.

"We have conducted similar brook trout restorations using the same chemical on three other streams, nearby Sams Creek and a portion of Indian Flats Creek in Tennessee and Bear Creek in North Carolina, which have natural barriers, such as waterfalls that prevent non-native trout species from returning.

"Follow-up research has shown this to be an effective means of re-establishing displaced native brook trout populations which historically has lost 75 percent of its range. The park has had an active brook trout restoration program since 1987 and we have made great headway in our restoration program. Due to 30 years of extensive brook trout restoration efforts and decades of research and analysis, the park opened brook trout fishing on a permanent basis in 2007."

An environmental assessment was prepared and approved in 2000 for the restoration of six stream segments within the park. Funding for the restoration project has come from various partnerships and private sources, including Trout Unlimited and its Little River Chapter, and Friends of the Smokies.

Jeff Hall, president of the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said he supports the project.

"Our mission is to conserve, protect and restore the cold water resources in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park," he said. "We see restoring the Southern Appalachian brook trout to the area as part of that mission. It is the only native trout to the region. We identify with the park's vision of restoring native species. We believe in that and want to see that happen as well."