Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Oops, it's only fish!
Have you ever camped at one of those remote high lakes areas and wondered how those fish that you caught for supper got into that lake in the first place? Well here's how:
Those high lakes that you often have to hike in to are stocked by air! The Department of Fish and Wildlife has this neat shuttle like contraption (called the "Rudy") which attaches to and is controlled by a helicopter. Within the "Rudy" are 30 small canisters which are filled with specified amounts and types of fish based on each individual lake that is being stocked.
A Department biologist uses different factors known about each lake being stocked to determine how many and which fish to stock. Several of these factors are, fish habitat (is there food and cover available and how much), water temperatures (highs and lows), and size of the water body. Then based on those findings, Rainbow trout, Cutthroat trout, Brook trout, or a combination thereof are chosen for each specific lake.
The canisters are filled on the ground prior to the first flight, or a second set of canisters is loaded during the subsequent flights in order to minimize turn-around time. The canisters are pre-filled with a specified amount of water, then the fish are loaded, by weight, into each numbered canister. The numbers correspond to a master list which the Biologist in the air has with them for each flight. Mikael got to help measure and load fish into canisters for the last flight out on Tuesday the 14th.
The canisters are loaded into the "Rudy" (so named for the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife who spearheaded and funded this program) by the ground crew. The pilot and at least one Department Biologist fly on each flight, with the biologist directing the air release of fish into area lakes located with GPS. Often there are a couple Department employees as 'ride-alongs' for each flight.
While in the air over the lake, the operator is able to press a button in the helicopter which releases, or dumps, the canister of fish specifically filled for that lake. The canisters release or dump the fish much like water is dumped on fires from the large mechanical bucket. Good thing those little guys are hardy! Kind of a tough way to end up in the water though!
The first day scheduled for flights was clear at the base, which was Mt. Hood Meadows, but thick clouds, rain and fog over all the lakes to be stocked made it impossible to make any dumps. They made a second attempt on Tuesday, and everything was clear and they finished the stocking by mid-afternoon.
Charles was responsible for hauling and handling two of the three stocks of fish, so he was up there both days. We joined him Monday for part of the day and Tuesday for the afternoon portion, where Mikael helped load fish and Nathanael played in the snow. I provided scones and coffee on Monday to help the crew pass the time while they waited for the cloud cover to lift.
The view of Mt. Hood from the exit to Mt. Hood Meadows off Highway 35.
On the way back down the mountain on Tuesday, the boys and I stopped at the White River to check it out. It's a beautiful, glacial fed river, cut deeply through the rock and ash of the mountain. The channels are deep and run beneath Hwy. 35. When we stopped and hiked down to the water, the river was indeed running white. I was just up there two days ago (two weeks after this picture) and the water was running the most yucky color or cheap hot-chocolate! We've had days of intense heat and the snow and glacial melt is now running brown in all the rivers. Even the Sandy, here where we live, is running brown.
Even in the summer we can have science classes and field trips! This was one of my favorites!
Those high lakes that you often have to hike in to are stocked by air! The Department of Fish and Wildlife has this neat shuttle like contraption (called the "Rudy") which attaches to and is controlled by a helicopter. Within the "Rudy" are 30 small canisters which are filled with specified amounts and types of fish based on each individual lake that is being stocked.
A Department biologist uses different factors known about each lake being stocked to determine how many and which fish to stock. Several of these factors are, fish habitat (is there food and cover available and how much), water temperatures (highs and lows), and size of the water body. Then based on those findings, Rainbow trout, Cutthroat trout, Brook trout, or a combination thereof are chosen for each specific lake.
The canisters are filled on the ground prior to the first flight, or a second set of canisters is loaded during the subsequent flights in order to minimize turn-around time. The canisters are pre-filled with a specified amount of water, then the fish are loaded, by weight, into each numbered canister. The numbers correspond to a master list which the Biologist in the air has with them for each flight. Mikael got to help measure and load fish into canisters for the last flight out on Tuesday the 14th.
The canisters are loaded into the "Rudy" (so named for the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife who spearheaded and funded this program) by the ground crew. The pilot and at least one Department Biologist fly on each flight, with the biologist directing the air release of fish into area lakes located with GPS. Often there are a couple Department employees as 'ride-alongs' for each flight.
While in the air over the lake, the operator is able to press a button in the helicopter which releases, or dumps, the canister of fish specifically filled for that lake. The canisters release or dump the fish much like water is dumped on fires from the large mechanical bucket. Good thing those little guys are hardy! Kind of a tough way to end up in the water though!
The first day scheduled for flights was clear at the base, which was Mt. Hood Meadows, but thick clouds, rain and fog over all the lakes to be stocked made it impossible to make any dumps. They made a second attempt on Tuesday, and everything was clear and they finished the stocking by mid-afternoon.
Charles was responsible for hauling and handling two of the three stocks of fish, so he was up there both days. We joined him Monday for part of the day and Tuesday for the afternoon portion, where Mikael helped load fish and Nathanael played in the snow. I provided scones and coffee on Monday to help the crew pass the time while they waited for the cloud cover to lift.
The view of Mt. Hood from the exit to Mt. Hood Meadows off Highway 35.
On the way back down the mountain on Tuesday, the boys and I stopped at the White River to check it out. It's a beautiful, glacial fed river, cut deeply through the rock and ash of the mountain. The channels are deep and run beneath Hwy. 35. When we stopped and hiked down to the water, the river was indeed running white. I was just up there two days ago (two weeks after this picture) and the water was running the most yucky color or cheap hot-chocolate! We've had days of intense heat and the snow and glacial melt is now running brown in all the rivers. Even the Sandy, here where we live, is running brown.
Even in the summer we can have science classes and field trips! This was one of my favorites!
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