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bugs that live in or around the riv
ers, as they are a source of food for
fish.
"We have survey areas around
Agency," said Feehan. "We evaluate
the rivers periodically, and over time,
we can develop a better understand
ing of our reservation's environmen
tal conditions."
And for these kinds of assessments,
that is really what is needed: time.
Weather conditions vary from sea
son to season, and year to year,
which affects the land and water, as
well as what lives there. The only
way to accurately tell about the
reservation's biological and environ
mental strengths and weaknesses is
over a period of a couple of years.
"We are establishing survey areas
in every major reservation stream,"
said Feehan. "And over time, we will
have a more detailed understanding
of those streams."
CULTURAL IMPORTANCE
Salmon, eel, and trout were staple
foods of Grand Ronde Indians dur
ing a time in history when these fish
were abundant in streams and riv
ers of Oregon. Acting in accordance
with the Native tradition of respect
for life and living things, tribal lead
ers began to take responsibility for
the reservation's environmental con
ditions immediately after the Tribe
was restored, and continues to do so.
June Olson and Lindy Trolan, both
cultural resource specialists for the
Tribe, said that ancestral respect for
fish populations carry valuable les
sons we should share with our youth.
"Our people's reverence toward fish
is reflected in their stories. We can
still share those stories today," said
Olson.
Trolan pointed out that both coastal
and Willamette Valley tribes used all
parts of the fish, and that salmon
bones were sometimes thrown back
into the rivers, as they were in the
area near Willamette Falls (Oregon
City).
"The people did this because they
believed that salmon were disguised
people, living in a village under the
sea. They were sent to provide food
to the human race. There were
cleaning and cooking ceremonies for
salmon, and after they were eaten,
their bones would be thrown back
into the river, in the belief that the
salmon were going to return back to
their village," said Trolan.
"To tribal people," explained Olson,
"fish and water were the essence of
life. No matter what tribe, each had
a story of respect for fish. Today,
many of us might throw our bones
in the trash after we eat a fish. But
to our ancestors, it was important to
continued on next page
Six species of fish are found in reservation streams. Anadromous fish spend
part of their lives in the Pacific Ocean, making their way up the Columbia, Willamette
and finally, reservation creeks to breed. Resident fish do not spend part of their
life cycle in the ocean.
Not pictured : Pacific lamprey (lampetra tridentata) and Cut-throat trout.
Anadromous Fish
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Steelhead trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Coho salmon
(Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Resident Fish.
Sculpins
Cottid spp.)
Stocked rainbow trout
( Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Aquatic Insects
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Caddisfiy larvae
Mayfly
nymph
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Stonefly nymph
The mayfly, stonefly and caddisfiy represent the three most common orders of
aquatic insects. There are a bunch of other bugs that are also present in our
streams but are not quite as common and not as much use as an indicator of
water quality.
There is a lot more life in a stream than just the fish. Insects are the largest
single group of animals on the planet. Many of these insects spend some or all
of their lives in the water. Some, like the mayflies, dragonflies, and caddisflies
are fully aquatic only when they are young. These juvenile insects are called
either nymphs or larvae depending on their life history. Other insects, such as
water striders and backswimmers, are fully aquatic during their entire life cycle.
Scientists can tell a lot about the health of a stream by looking at the insects
which live there. Many species of insects require very specific habitat
characteristics including clear, fast flowing, cold water. Many fish and amphibians
require similar habitat characteristics as well as a healthy supply of insects which
are food for many. For all of these reasons and many more, insects are a vital
and fascinating part of the aquatic community.
1
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Stream insects are tiny, but important indicators of water quality
and river health.
Stream Bank Plants
Because of their often disruptive and destabilizing effects on natural
communities, exotic plants like Himalayan blackberry and Reed Canary Grass
are sometimes called "biological pollutants." Some of these living pollutants can
out compete and greatly restrict or eliminate native plant species in an area.
Besides the direct loss of native plants, wildlife and their habitat, these plant
intruders can degrade riparian habitat quality and stream bank community
composition. These noxious weeds reduce the availability of light, water, nutrients
and space available to native species thus preventing plants more valuable to
the natural system from becoming established.
Invasive plants:
Scotch Broom
Reed Canary Grass
Himalayan Blackberry
"Good" plants:
Plants that are native to the area, can
provide needed shade to the rivers, or
woody debris in the rivers.