Richardsonius Balteaus - National Park Service Fisheries Study

                                                            ©Paul K Anderson

Every trip to Ross Lake Resort I end up meeting very interesting people.  Artists, musicians, incredibly talented fishers, craftsmen, National Park Service People.

This trip was no different.

Meet Ashley Rawhouser of the National Park Service, Professor Leo Bodensteiner of Western Washington University, Professor Ruth Sofield of Western Washington University, and Carmen Welch who is working towards her Masters Degree at Western.

Carmen is studying Richardsonius Balteaus eating habits - this information could be useful to understand the effects on the native rainbow and bull trout populations.

For several days they set nets in various locations on the lake.  The shiners were sized, categorized and documented.

Later Carmen will remove the otolith (ear bone) to more accurately age the samples.

Then she removes the guts of her sample group and documents if the shiners are eating insects, algae, or zooplankton.

Good luck on the study Carmen, we all wish you the best.