Introduction to Water
The Forest Service takes a special interest in salmon habitat for reasons having mostly to do with conservation. With dynamic climate changes, pollution, and invasive species, it is the job of the Watershed team to verify the integrity of salmon stream habitats.
Drew Gilberti and Luis Suarez left Moyer early in the morning to meet the Forest Service Watershed team to conduct hydrology surveys. The next two weeks would be spent walking in streams to gather data on salmon habitat. Relying on critical trends such as bank stability and sediments fines, it can be determined whether or not salmon are able to spawn throughout the season. Bill, Jon, Jared, and Tom were the Forest Service Watershed personnel, teaching the basics learning the details of hydrology surveys.
Quality over quantity was emphasized at several points over the week. Visiting various sites such as Big Bear Creek, Hawley Creek, and Spring Creek, a slew of different environments were encountered. From snow to sunshine, the crew studied the streams. Traveling up banks and noting the stability as well as segregating the different sediment finds through the use of multiple sieves, the streams were determined to be suitable or not.
Surveying eight creeks in all, each site had 600 feet of bank surveyed and five dig core sites 4 inches deep dug and sifted. Though the process was a bit tedious, the need to be precise and accurate was always being contested. All in all, working with the science vein of the Forest Service proved to be both enlightening and adventurous.