Pearl Monitors Fish Habitat
The Missisquoi River is an 88 mile long, dual country river with numerous tributaries and streams coming off of it. All of those rivers and streams hold a variety of fish species. Some of these include trout species, bass, perch, pike, and more. Fish act as biological indicators that reveal the overall health, cleanliness, and quality of a body of water (such as our rivers and streams)
Earlier this Fall, fluffy mascot Pearl joined Missisquoi River Basin Association Project Manager Sarah Lunn and AmeriCorps members Ruby Bratcher and Natalie Hammond to monitor fish habitats in the Upper Missisquoi. The goal of this fish habitat monitoring was to see where there are healthy populations of fish in the Upper Missisquoi.
The crew walked up and down four tributaries in Lowell: Truland Brook, Ace Brook, Burgess Branch, and an unnamed stream. For each stream that we assessed, we followed one procedure to collect temperature data with several HOBO temperature loggers. When arriving at a particular stream for data collection, our team would deploy a stationary HOBO logger in the stream to continuously collect temperature data during our stream visit. Then, our team would walk directly in the stream while dragging two HOBO temperature loggers behind us in the water. Think of it as a dog being walked on a leash.
A map will eventually be made that shows
A map will eventually be made that shows the temperature distribution across the different streams we collected for. The HOBO temperature loggers collect data at a rapid rate, which allows for a detailed visual of how water temperatures vary across the different parts of a stream.
There are many different factors that affect water temperature in streams, such as stream depth, if nearby plants/trees provide shade, and if there are algae blooms present. Fish thrive in colder water temperatures, and tend to seek out shaded, colder pools of water in streams and rivers. When the water is colder, it contains a higher concentration of dissolved oxygen, which allows for easier respiration and less energy expenditure for fish. As a result, it is crucial to understand how temperature varies across streams in the Missisquoi Watershed.
This work was spurred from a research study done by Vermont Fish and Wildlife Fish Biologist Lee Simard. He conducts electrofishing and population assessments of wild trout and native fish species across the upper Missisquoi watershed. Simard’s study found that there are robust wild trout populations in many portions of the Upper Missisquoi watershed, and understanding where these fish can thrive helps inform conservation work, development plans, and fishing opportunities.
While conducting this monitoring, Pearl and her colleagues came across beautiful sights. Cascading waterfalls big and small, deep pools of fish, breathtaking bedrock, rocky stream sections with leaves falling throughout, bird tracks on river banks. Dried up stream beds, old culverts, and trash in the rivers were also observed (and cleaned up).
Pearl certainly enjoyed all the time spent walking through water, swimming in the pools, and running from bank to bank. You truly never know where a day as an MRBA mascot, staff member, or AmeriCorps member will take you. That is why we keep coming back for more!
Do you have a favorite fishing spot in the Missisquoi watershed? Perhaps a favorite memory while fishing on the Missisquoi. Let Pearl know about it by emailing info@mrbavt.com !
