It Takes A Team To Protect A Stream

There were patches of snow in the shaded places,and a few flakes were blowing around. Shuler Creek, a hatchery-supported troutnstream above Lake Apalachia near the Tennessee line,was swollen. It was in a hurry to get down fromits headwaters on 3,600-foot Cantrell top.

 "This creek is up two or three feet," Larry Hummel said.
He was standing with Dennis Hammond and Glen Harker, all protected by waders and extra layers of clothing,in the 42-degree water.

"We need those tweezers in here now."Hammond said.
With that, Glendon Gale their fellow member of the Mountain Country Rod and Gun Club, came scurrying along the bank from his vehicle. He delivered that and other tools these volunteers use to determine if there are enough bugs for trout to eat in Shuler Creek

How? One member gently stirs with his boots rocks on the creeks bed. Another braces him in the current. A third nets bugs washed from benesth the rocks. And a fourth completes an official record.

They empty their catch in creek water they scoop with a white plastic margarine tub, fresh from a member's dishwasher. Hammond uses the tweezers to carefully pluck and identify bugs,One stonefly,and returns them to the streams.

The volunteers Feb.3 total counts were 170 stoneflies,106 mayflies,22 craneflies,8 watersnipes,6 water pennies,5 gilles snails, 4 dobsonflies, 4 caddishflies, 2 dragonflies,4 clams, 3 salamanders, 2 redline darters, 2 worms,1 crayfish and 1 sculpin. That's about average for Shuler Creek bug survey, Gale said.

I studied up close the fragile life froms of a profuse-for now-Nantahala National Forest ecosystem."They look healthy," I said. " Yes they do," Hummel replied. "When you find healthy water, you're going to find healthy bugs and healthy fish,"

I asked,"But what harms water?"
"Polluition, acid rain, runoff from roads, fertilizers from golf courses and people's yards, erosion,all kinds of things," Hammond said.

The members have the Izaak Walton League's guide," Stream Insects and Crustaceans." Their EPA kits for measureing dissolves oxygen levels are from the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition. Trout Unlimited has a stake here,tooThe county's nine other hatchery-supported trout streams need care like this by other volunteer and student science-class groups.

The Shuler Creek counts go to the U.S. Forest Service and Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Stream Watch program.
Trout- 40 percent,brook,40  percent rainbow and 20 percent brown are trucked from N.C. Wildlife's Pisgah Hatchery at Brevard,then put in a the aforementioned bridge.

Teamwork like the rod and gun club's is what's needed o protect our watershed.Happily,there's an annual event celebrating this very ideal,bringing everyone together. It's the Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award Banquet.

This year's is set for Friday March 12, at Brasstown Valley Resort.Call the Hiwassee river Watershed Coalition for reservations.838-837-5414.

This is a columm comes from the Cherokee Scout,and Tom Bennett. The Cherokee is now over 120 years old! The Scout Web site is. www.cherokeescout.com