Sometime back when the icy fist of winter still gripped the land tightly, Jerry Wiley asked the Stream Team oriented MAKO members to come to his cabin on the Big Sugar Creek near Powell and test the waters. Jerry finally lured them there with promises of smoked salmon and slow cooked BBQ venison last Saturday, March 14th.
The weather looked fine in the Joplin area, but as the caravan drew up to the snug cabin on the cliff, rain began to spit. Dee and Randy were chomping at the bit to get to the creek for the “bugs.” David Moss, who had preceded the caravan, was indoors and wanting some company, so in they went. Corky, Steve, Dick, and Kerry were fit to be tied, while Jerry was heaping large chunks of smoked salmon onto a serving dish. Waymeth and Dee decided to add their goodies to the table: whole grain sandwiches and granola bars. Greg and Jeanne were arriving and were swept into the cabin along with a yummy sausage and crackers dish. Brian sliced and diced on homemade venison sausage, he slid his platter on to the now bulging table. David had found some awesome pinwheels made of a variety of meats and vegetables. Jerry pulled out a perfectly blended dip made with smoked salmon, and there were too many crackers to mention. After stuffing ourselves and washing nature’s bounty down with lemonade, tea, and water, Dee noticed the rain had let up somewhat. The group wanted to take photos on the deck. Having finished the photo session, most of them wandered back into the cabin to munch some more or just talk. Randy had already put on waders and was headed down the steps towards the damp pathway! Kerry and Dee started handing out equipment to go to the streamside: small table, chemical monitoring set, nets for catching the “bugs,” identification cards, gloves for the clean-up, sample vials (in case Dee wanted to keep anything), and other miscellaneous Stream Team items. The others began putting on waders or gathering up shovels, chainsaws, and work tools. The troops must have looked a bit like ants carting all of these items down the hill.
The gravel bar was scurrying with activity, picking up litter, dragging driftwood, and starting fires. The chainsaw roared to life, ripping huge unmovable logs into more manageable chunks. Steve was very happy. Randy, David and Jerry were digging an old tire from the gravel. The only part that was visible before they began was about three inches of tread! As Dee offered gloves, the black cast-off popped from the ground as all three men yanked it free from its gravel prison. Waymeth and Jeanne were busy pulling logs and helping keep track of the guys. Greg and Kerry had found a massive piece of driftwood, thinking it would be perfect to use for a bench later, they left it lay, only to find later that it had succumbed to the chewing teeth of Steve’s chainsaw! No worries, there are plenty of logs around.
The rain had picked up, and the fire was heartwarming. Kerry and Dee were ready to look for the macroinvertabrates. Randy was already pulling tires from the stream. Waymeth and Jeanne helped set up the counting station, ice cube trays, a bottle of creek water, tweezers, and some sample vials. The gang tried to keep the soon to be filled out paperwork dry. No use, it was way too wet! David was the official photographer for the day. Randy was the net holder for the first net set while Corky, Jerry, and Dee did the benthic boogie , named such because the “bugs” live under rocks and very deep in the gravel (substrate) in order to get to them the boots have to go down into the gravel about 6 inches! Therefore the twist is also known as the benthic boogie! Jerry and Corky are really good at the benthic boogie! As Randy returned with the net, all gathered around to have a look. Stonefly larva, mayfly larva, and net spinning green caddis were so abundant: we could not count them all! There were also two very nice hellgrammites, a favorite for bass. The tire that had been pulled from the stream produced an uncountable amount of aquatic worms of varied colors, mostly pinkish-brown but many with red on one end and some olive in the middle or towards the other end. These worms are the food base for many fish to in the streams. Tie these, fish on or near the bottom, and a fish will usually bite pretty quick.
The MAKO members boogied two more times and found many macros. Steve, Jeanne, and Randy worked the last set, in which they found a riffle beetle. This beetle is very small and sinks when put back in water, the terrestrial beetle will float! This is an important food source as well as a water quality indicator. If these are present in a stream, the water quality will be high. Dee was not quite done; some of the members were getting antsy to fly fish or go warm up, but not Dee. She invited Jeanne to do a couple of D-net sets under the root wad of a tree in some slow back water “just to see.” Off they went, across the stream and under a huge tree. Carefully lowering the large, long- handled net into the quiet water, Dee motioned Jeanne to walk up towards the net, keeping critters from escaping. Quickly scooping upward and scraping the underside of the root mat in one motion, Dee finished the net set. No boogie here! Spying movement in the net, both ladies exclaimed “oooohhh!” They had netted a dragonfly larva, a big one. Dee picked it out and handed it over to Jeanne, and back to the counting table they went with the prize. Upon hearing the commotion, everyone gathered around the table again to see the new findings. All hands began sorting the dead leaves looking for new macros. Damsel fly larva! This was exciting! These were olive green and quite large, about an inch in length. Jerry wanted to keep one of these and some of the other macros for tying purposes. Kerry and Corky helped fill the sample vials with green caddis, dragonfly larva, and damsel fly larva. Randy also kept a few for his collection. This is a first, Dee did not take any macros home with her.
The overall score for the Macroinvertabrate Data Sheet was a 27. Any number greater than 23 is considered in the EXCELLENT category. This is a water quality rating considering the biodiversity of the life in the stream. The macros con not move from their location, either they tolerate the water quality or perish.
Hunger pangs gripped the group again, and we knew what was waiting for us at the end of the long hike up the path. No one of had to say a word. Gathering up the work tools, macro counting equipment and other unnecessary items and leaving the chemistry test equipment, we hurried up the lush path towards the fire warmed cabin. Jerry had gone ahead and started a blazing fire in the fireplace, made lemonade and placed more smoked salmon out for us to enjoy. While those that had waders or hip boots on changed into street shoes, the conversation found its way around fishing and hunting in Alaska, the Northwest, and ,of course, here in the Midwest. The warmth and the nourishment fed our souls, and we lingered for a few hours enjoying the company. Dee handed out Missouri Stream Team T-shirts to all of the participants; some will receive their T-shirt at the next program meeting due to lack of the correct size.
The rain fell softly on fallen leaves as the path was put to use again. Anxious to see how the chemistry tests are carried out and recorded, the group made it to the bottom in good time. Quickly setting up the Dissolved Oxygen test, the Nitrate test, and getting out the two pen type tests, Dee was ready to begin. Turbidity, or how clear the water is, was the first non-chemical test to be demonstrated. After scooping up a sample from the creek, and was showing the black and white disc at the bottom to Dick, Dee’s hand slipped and shot water out of the tube all over his pant leg. . . so much for being graceful while teaching. The results of the test were great, a12.5, meaning very clear water, letting very little water out of the test tube. She then decided to answer the question of “what would turbid water’s number be,” by just stirring up the bottom with her boot and gathering a sample of the now “turbid” water. The tube was almost empty before anyone could see the disc at the bottom. This water had a lot of “debris” in it or sediment from the bottom. If recording, the number it would have been very high. Handing and explaining the use of the pH pen to Jeanne, the first results came in. pH was 8.3, well within the parameters set by DNR (Department of Natural Resources). Dee next handed and explained the conductivity pen to Waymeth, the results showed 350 µS/cm. (Conductivity is a measurement of the electrical current that can pass through the water. The higher the dissolved solids results in higher conductivity. Clear water will have a lower number.) Next the Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) test. This test takes a bit of time but is easy to perform and very essential. The amount of oxygen in the water is important to macroinvertabrates as well as the fish. They all need it. If the oxygen is low their health may deterorate. Fish can leave an area, the macros cannot, and they will perish. The test results were also very good, 12, and combined with the water temperature of 10 0 Celsius, (51 0 F) the total Dissolved Oxygen % Saturation was 106%. Oxygen dissolves more easily in cold water than warm, and the water in the stream was moving at a fast rate thus having more oxygen in it. After starting the Dissolved Oxygen test, Dee also started the Nitrate test. The results were handed around for all to look at, 1.0, a great reading. The air temperature was also a chilly 10 0 Celsius. (51 0 F) By the time they finished, hands were cold and noses were red. Jeanne and Dee went rock hunting only to find the rest of the gang had tromped back up the path to the cabin and some were leaving for home. Kerry had packed the truck for Dee, and they thanked Jerry for the great time and the wonderful hospitality he offered.
The day was a success for all involved! Thank you to all who participated!
There was talk of making this a bi-annual outing. What are your thoughts? Any ideas!? All ideas are welcome, none are bad. . . .
Happy Spring!
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