Students visit outdoor lab

Pleasant autumn weather greeted Mountain View High School students for an outdoor laboratory at Riverside campground last month.

They were part of biology teacher Ken Johnson's watershed ecology field trip sponsored by Oregon Trout as part of their Salmon Watch program.

"We wanted students to have the experience of seeing first hand the interaction between plants, aquatic insects, fish, forest and Metolius River," said Johnson. "Our focus on the fish is because they are spawning at this time and highlight a biological process in action."

Student teams of three or four rotated from Steve Marx's description of the Kokanee salmon, taken directly from the river, to Jerry Honl and Dick Sternitz, both from Central Oregon Flyfishers, who helped students find and identify aquatic insects and other invertebrate animals.

In between, students did chemical testing of Metolius River water for dissolved oxygen, pH (acid-base analysis) and other tests.

Karen Swirsky and Shirley Walkey, from David Evans and Associates, a civil engineering firm, discussed riparian vegetation with student groups. They were assisted by Greg Ketner, student teacher, in botanical descriptions of plants seen by students.

"Salmon Watch is designed to foster a strong recognition of salmon as an important indicator of watershed health," said Tom Tattam, regional coordinator for Oregon Trout.

The Kokanee salmon are land locked and make the Metolius River their home. They travel between Lake Billy Chinook, the Metolius River and smaller tributaries, reaching Suttle Lake in earlier times when passage was freer.

The group had lunch and finished their day visiting the Headwaters of the Metolius that is located near Riverside campground.

Riverside Campground is located off Highway 14 -- about one mile from downtown Camp Sherman. Originally a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s, it is now a 16-site Forest Service public tent campground and makes a lovely spot to enjoy the forest, wild and scenic Metolius River or a picnic lunch.

Founded in 1983, Oregon Trout works to protect and restore native fish and their habitats. Contact Tom Tattam at 541-753-4280 for more information.