The last two days of my internship I got to assist with the Bureau of Reclamation’s efforts in salvaging fish from the A canal on the Link River that occurs annually. Fish were herded with a seine net to one end of the fish screen, netted and placed in a large bin. The bin was then hoisted up and sent to a make shift table in which we sorted through the fish. Through the mayhem of fish we had to locate and remove all suckers. The majority of fish being Blue or Tui chubs. Once you got a search image down, locating them became much easier. Overall I estimate we sorted through over 500,00 fish. Suckers were placed into a holding tank to then be processed. They were measured, some clipped for DNA and PIT tagged. They were then released in a spring fed stream that connects back to Upper Klamath Lake. More suckers were found than was expected, last year only 123 fish were caught, this year was over 300.

Fish being hoisted up out of the pit.

So many fish!

Julie Day (USFWS, Fish Biologist) and Bureau of Reclamation Staff sorting through fish.

It has been a great experience working at the US Fish and Wildlife Office in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I’m leaving with a more robust knowledge of fish biology and ecology plus a slew of new skills. With MOCC (Motor operator certification course) training standing out the most. Being able to use that knowledge and apply it to the rearing of an endangered species was extremely rewarding. But I’ve also learned a great deal more about the endangered species act (ESA), in its implementation and impact. And being a part of data collection for a biological opinion, which is a major component of the ESA. I’ve also learned the importance first hand of cooperation with other government agencies and NGO’ s in conservation.

Me, Erica and Nic, looking awesome in waders.

I will definitely miss working here in Klamath; I was able to work with some really great and inspiring people who I hope to keep in touch with. I am gearing up for a bunch of traveling. I’m headed to Seattle first, then Maryland, Vermont, New York and perhaps a trip to Ethiopia (fingers crossed). And after all that traveling I hope to continue a career in wildlife biology and conservation.