On Tuesday February 7th, 51 folks came together at the Lamprey and Steelhead Survey Orientation at the Native American Student and Community Center. At the orientation, staff from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife explained the importance of these native fish and how we know very little about their distribution and abundance. They also showed photos of lamprey and steelhead nests (also known as redds) and fish characteristics for identification. Johnson Creek Watershed Council staff explained surveying safety and volunteer logistics. They even acted out common scenarios in the creek with an engaging skit! At the end of the training, folks worked together on a quiz to test their knowledge. What an informative and fun evening!
After the training, these dedicated volunteers committed to three surveys in Johnson Creek looking for signs of two native fish, lamprey and steelhead. Volunteers will walk mile long stretches of Johnson Creek in pairs, searching for signs of fish spawning activity. We will keep you updated on what we learn throughout these surveys. To stay in the loop, contact Janel at Janel@jcwc.org to be added to our community science listserv.