Bighorn River Float 2001

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Bighorn River Float2001

• Environmental Studies John Miller
• Bio II George Grover

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What is a redd? When the female trout finds a
spawning site, she builds the nest, or redd.
The gravel and stones that will hold the eggs
must be rather large one to 10 inches in
diameter, the water must be between 40 and 55o,
and there must be an upwelling of ground water
directly beneath the nest or a current.
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She nestles against the stream bed and anchors
herself with her caudal fin. She swishes back
and forth wildly so that her movements create a
shallow in the gravel and stir up a cloud of
debris. The particles of sediment, organic
matter and insects get swept away by the current.
A clean nest enables oxygenated water to bathe
the eggs after spawning.
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The spawn is complete when the female releases
her eggs and the male discharges a dose of milt
(sperm). The female completes the redd by using
her fins to shovel a load of clean gravel atop
the fertilized eggs.
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Educational activities
Students sampled water temperature several times
during the day and made field notes on the
aquatic activity. Macro-invertebrates were
collected from kick nets and saved for lab work
in the classroom.
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Sketching and painting materials were provided
for those wanting to record artistic
impressions. Bird identification was made from
field notes. Underwater camera and digital camera
provided photographs. Redds and fisherman
proximity were counted.
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Information collected from the Bighorn River
float is being used by Environmental Studies
students to create educational posters about the
redds for the Montana Department of Fish
Wildlife and Parks.