Hikers and mountain bikers in the Boise Foothills could soon help researchers better understand critical habitat for native Idaho trout during years with poor snowpack.
Dry Creek is home to the Redband Trout, which is related to the rainbow trout. It can be hard to tell the difference between them, but redbands have larger and more rounded spots on their bodies, along with a distinct red stripe.
College of Idaho Professor Chris Walser and others will soon install 10 wooden posts called chronolog stations along Dry Creek in the Boise Foothills.
Hikers and mountain bikers along the trail can use the posts to take consistent photos of the creek that will track when and where the water dries up.
“Just by having trail users out there taking photos, it allows us to sort of better understand how the stream dries over the summer, where fish are and where they’re not and how that relates to snowpack,” Walser said.
Dry Creek has plenty of weather stations that monitor temperature and water flow, he said, but having more detailed data about where the fish gather when parts of the stream dry up during the summer can help Redband Trout survive.
“We might, in some cases, be able to move fish from an area that we think is going to go dry to upstream areas,” Walser said.
Redbands are also special for reasons aside from their colorful scales.
They’re adapted to live in the Inland Northwest – especially as climate change brings hotter temperatures.
“Some studies have shown that they can live in water as warm as 85 degrees fahrenheit, which is really warm for a trout. They can also tolerate really low oxygen levels,” Walser said.
Crews will begin installing the photo stations along Dry Creek in mid-May.
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