FALL CARCASS & REDD SURVEY



Students, community members, Karuk Tribe Dept. of Natural Resources Staff, 
and Salmon River Restoration Council staff walking a reach 
of the Salmon River on the Fall Carcass & Redd Survey

The Fall Carcass & Redd Survey gives students an opportunity to do real field work alongside professionals in their watershed! This is a project where our school cooperates with many different groups to collect accurate data on the fish populations in the Salmon River. (These groups include: CA Dept. of Fish & Game, the Forest Service, the Salmon River Restoration Council (SRRC), the Karuk Tribe, and the Yurok Tribe) Students are trained to do reach surveying in a two-part training session: one covers the procedures and protocol for data collecting, the other is a whitewater safety session that emphasizes safety measures in the river including self-rescue swimming techniques, partner crossings through swift water, and throw rope rescuing. Once students are trained, they survey a river reach one day a week with their teacher, a project leader from the Salmon River Restoration Council, or an agency biologist. The project usually lasts from the mid-October through November.

The survey team regularly reports back to the rest of the class about their fieldwork. They also give a presentation about their project to teachers, students, parents, and community members at the annual Salmon River Schools' Watershed Education Fair.

Student Writing Fish Carcass Count      Allison and I decided to go on the Fall Carcass Count. So we had to go to the Petersburg Forest Service Station to get training. We sat around listening to people from agencies such as the CA Dept. of Fish & Game and Forest Service talk about the survey in general.  After that we went to 3 stations: Station #1 was where we went to learn how to tag fish. Station #2 was where we went to learn how to chop a fish in half. Station #3 was where we went to learn how to check the fish for an adipose fin.       We wanted to see if it had an adipose fin because hatchery fish have had that fin cut off. If it is a hatchery fish, we cut off its head and give it to the Fish & Game. Hatchery fish have a computer chip implant in their head that has information about what hatchery it came from, how old it is, and other useful data.      If a fish has its adipose fin it isn't a hatchery fish. This means it is a wild salmon.     EQUIPMENT WE USE ON THE SURVEY WADERS We use these for keeping us warm & dry in the river. WADING BOOTS These are very important for our safety. They have felt bottoms that keep us from slipping on wet rocks. GAFF This is used to hook fish carcasses that are out of reach. Most gaffs also have a ruler marks on them so we can measure the forklength of the fish, too. MACHETE We carry a machete with us on the river in order to cut carcasses in half so that we don't count them more than once. SNAG-O-MATIC This invention is a roll of twine or string with a big hook on the end. It is used to "fish" for carcass way out of reach from the gaff. If we can't retrieve the carcass with this tool, usually we can't get the carcass for data recording. SCALING KNIFE We use this to take scale samples from the fish. Biologists are able to then tell how old the fish is (Llike reading the rings of a tree trunk).

Picture Gallery A student at the Whitewater Training in Forks of Salmon on the Salmon River During the whitewater training students had to pass a swimming test with water-logged waters. Here is one student enjoying the river after passing the test!   Seventh-grade girls practicing safe water  crossing techniques

2003 Survey Crew                   2000-2001 Survey Team                                                             2001-2002 Survey Team                                       2000-1999 Survey Team                                         1999-1998 Survey Team

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