Category

Conservation | Page 44

  • Restoration Conservation

    Surveying what’s left of Eklutna River’s Salmon

    Standing on the edge of the bridge, staring down the dry riverbed, I wondered what the Eklutna River would look like when it was allowed to flow again.

    This past fall I found myself frequenting the Eklutna River often, after plans solidified for the owners of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project to briefly return water to the river for the first time since its construction in 1955. The water release was part of the study looking to mitigate the projects impacts on fish populations.…

  • Conservation

    ’Tis the Season

    When big browns are spawning, it’s a good time to stop and relish the moment What’s not to love about brown trout? They’re crafty, tenacious, mean, strong, and damn near invincible. Jason Bourne, Derrick Henry, Kaiser Soze, and Dracula all rolled into one fish. Increasingly concerned about the plight of North America’s native salmonids, I…

  • Snake River dams Fishing Fly tying steelhead

    Tying the Steelhead Coachman

    If you were to look in the box of a seasoned steelheader on the banks of the Snake, Grande Ronde or Clearwater chances are good you'll find.

    I can distinctly remember the first few flies I started fishing with. As I would imagine the case is with many people, that selection of a dozen flies was a 'who's who' of the classics. The Adams, Elk-hair Caddis, Muddler Minnow, Pheasant Tail, and Royal Wulff seem almost like names from scripture in the pantheon…

  • From the field Conservation

    Update from the Madison River: Anglers rally to save trout

    In the early hours of November 30th Hebgen Dam (the source of the Upper Madison) had malfunctioned, resulting a 70% drop in flows.

    Long-term effects of dam failure still TBD When my colleague Bill Pfeiffer and I pulled into Ennis, we were met with some familiar sights. The grocery store parking lot was overflowing with people grabbing a couple of sandwiches to take with them to the river. As we drove upriver 287 nearly every pullout, boat ramp,…

  • Conservation

    On tap: A stronger Clean Water Act

    We need your help to protect small streams and healthy fisheries For most of my three decades at TU, we have been working to see that the landmark Clean Water Act protects all the waters it was intended to protect. That includes the small tributary streams, headwaters, and wetlands that are so important to the…