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Newsletter Page 3
E. Friends of the East Fork have been monitoring stream temperatures along several reaches of the lower East Fork for the past two years and are sharing this information with other volunteer groups as well as WA Fish & Wildlife.
F. Stream flow measurements taken by professionally qualified volunteers have been taken at various stages of flow, up and down the lower river. These can be used to better understand the low flow problems of the river in its current degraded state, during the critical summer months where temperatures can reach lethal levels for both adult fish and juveniles.
G. Members of FOE have participated in the Fish First program of distribution of salmon carcasses from the local hatcheries, into the North and East Fork of the Lewis River System and many of the tributaries. This is an important task whose objective is to provide food for emerging fry and growing juvenile salmon by increasing the stream nutrient level. Research has shown that this has a high value for sustaining juvenile fish populations.
H. Volunteers from FOE have done several special surveys at the request of private landowners on tributaries of the East Fork. This data will be used to plan small but highly effective projects on their property. One small project, which improved fish habitat use conditions for an existing fish population on a little tributary, has already been done.