Fisheries Interns at Blue Valley Ranch

Two seniors at West Grand High School received the experience of a lifetime this past summer through a fisheries internship program at the BLM’s Kremmling Field Office.  The program, sponsored by the American Fisheries Society, gave the students experience in measuring water quality and quantity, riparian health, evaluating fish habitat and stream macrofauna like stoneflies, and tissue sampling for genetic testing of native cutthroat trout.

The program is designed to give young students a variety of field experiences to stimulate their interest in a future career in fisheries biology. Part of that experience includes understanding how fisheries are managed on both public and private lands to the benefit of the entire river corridor.  Blue Valley Ranch fisheries biologist Brien Rose helped the students appreciate the management of private waters by including them in his own field work at the ranch. 

Through the cooperation of many organizations, including the BLM, CO Parks and Wildlife, and private landowners, the internship was able to provide a more comprehensive view of fisheries management in the West. Hopefully, the experience also excited two young people enough to spur them into a future career in biology.