 |
| Utah’s colorful Bonneville cutthroats (this one recently rescued) will soon return to Deep Creek - Brooke Shakespeare and Sara Quitsberg, USFS seasonals take measurements on Deep Creek. |
After spending a couple of hours looking for a monitoring site recorded in 1994, seasonals Brook Shakespeare and Sara Quitsberg are disappointed to find that the previous site may not be the best place to set up permanent long-term stream transect points. Hydrologists pick a site and then measure from “bank full” to “bank full” (a designated point along the streambank) and then measure perpendicular to the stream. The survey equipment used gives biologists an idea of how the stream’s depth and flow changes over time, as well as the amount of erosion that is occurring.
In addition to establishing transects, the work crew conducts pebble counts in three separate areas and takes water chemistry samples to test for alkalinity, pH, temperature and conductivity. “This stream is currently embedded,” says Chris Butler. Normally, a stream would contain a sampling of many different rock sizes, depending on the water flow and depth. However, in this case, the majority of rocks are of pebble size or smaller. Just weeks ago, sand and ash were mostly found in the stream bottom, and now, “coarser material and gravel are starting to show,” said Butler.
|
Interestingly, Butler conducts the pebble count according to a fairly unsophisticated technique developed in 1954, but that has withstood the test of time. By placing his feet heel-toe-heel-toe across the stream, going from bank to bank, Chris closes his eyes and picks up the first rock he touches nearest to his little toe. After repeating the process 100 times at three different locations at each transect, the results are graphed and analyzed. The stream will be classified and managed according to its’ long term potential – and in this case, its’ ability to provide adequate cover, flow variation and reds (nesting area) for the self-supporting population of Bonneville Cutthroat trout that will eventually be returned to the stream. |
|
 |
Monitoring Provides Data
To view a short, 65 second motion video showing monitoring, you can choose from two movie file sizes;
Video Viewing Instructions
Description of video clip
Understanding how this stream will respond with time is important for long-term recovery. Measurements taken by U.S. Forest Service seasonals Sara Quitsberg and Brooke Shakespeare will help determine if erosion continues to be a problem or if other rehabilitation measures need to be taken.
|
