The preparation continues for the trout eggs to arrive. Now that the tank is set up, curiosity grew as to whether it functioned properly. What better thing to do than collect water and test it out?
That is exactly what a group of students accomplished before the weather turned.
The eggs are expected to be delivered on November 4th-5th. To be certain that all of the tank equipment was assembled and working properly, students collected enough water from the host creek to fill their tank and test everything out before the big day.
The kick net from the stream study was utilized as a sieve to keep any large sediment from entering the tank (and clogging up the valves). The thermostat and chiller have been working efficiently to keep the temperature as stable as possible.
And now we wait.
HOWEVER, while we wait, another aspect of this adventure involves testing the stream at the site for its level of health. Approximately 20 students took to the stream on October 22 to test the water for levels of phosphate, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, pH, and the turbidity. They also canvased the site for levels of macroinvertebrates, or insects and larvae the size of your fingernail, to see what is living in the creek. All of the data will be interpreted by the students to gauge the health of the stream. After all, this stream will be the new home of numerous trout fingerlings come spring!
Despite the cool water temperatures (9 degrees Celsius), students waded into the water to collect their samples. Above is a collection for dissolved oxygen, below is the team recording data for turbidity. Compare the water flow in this photo to the one at the top of this entry!
If this adult can survive, there are high hopes for a healthy habitat for our fingerlings in the spring!
Despite the cool water temperatures (9 degrees Celsius), students waded into the water to collect their samples. Above is a collection for dissolved oxygen, below is the team recording data for turbidity. Compare the water flow in this photo to the one at the top of this entry!
We did a search for macros and came up with minimal results. However, we were not the only group enjoying being outside in the stream today. Numerous steelhead fisherman were shoulder-to-shoulder along the stream, vying for the perfect location. One fisherman was very lucky -
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