Nooksack trout, salmon, and char
Aquatic environmental DNA Study
​Credit: Joel Sartore & USFWS
WONDERING WHERE DIFFERENT FISH SPECIES LIVE IN THE NOOKSACK RIVER?
INTERESTED IN HELPING LOCAL TROUT AND SALMON POPULATIONS?
project overviewJoin our effort to create a detailed inventory and map of our trout and salmon communities which will be used to help inform fish science and future watershed decisions. This summer, the US Forest Service (USFS) in collaboration with North Sound Trout Unlimited, 4th Corner Fly Fishers, and field work by citizen volunteers like yourself, will conduct DNA sampling of streams and creeks throughout the Nooksack basin and surrounding waters. The purpose of this project is to help improve existing species distribution maps and better understand the Nooksack ecosystem. Over the last two years, we've collected 170 samples and have about 100 more to collect before the fall rains arrive. The interactive map at the bottom of this page shows the remaining samples to collect.
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how it worksWe use a technique called environmental DNA (eDNA) where volunteers collect water samples from predetermined locations throughout the Nooksack River basin. Volunteers filter their samples through a special piece of paper and the paper is sent for testing. Sampling equipment provided to volunteers is easily carried in a daypack, and sample collection from a site only takes 15 minutes following an easy-to-learn protocol. Genetic testing of the samples in a laboratory makes it possible to determine which species are present in the area without actually seeing or catching those fish. Results from the sample analysis are made publicly available through the Aquatic eDNAtlas website.
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volunteering
Credit: USFS-National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation
The project has a wide range of sample sites—some easy to access, some need a bit of a bushwhack, and some longer hike or mountain bike sites. The only special skill you need is to be able to use your GPS or phone app to find your way to the predetermined sample site and record the latitude/longitude of the location where you collected the sample. A free phone app with the site map is provided. Before collecting samples you will need to read the sampling protocol document, then get a little instruction when you pick up the equipment.
Once at the sample site it takes about 15 minutes to set up, collect the sample, and pack up to head to the next location. It is quicker, easier, and more fun with two people, so we encourage but don’t require pairs. Most volunteers cover 5-10 samples in a day depending on the amount of driving and walking needed between sites. Dogs are welcome, and fishing is an option after you collect the sample. The remaining sample sites to collect are shown in orange in the map below.
If you’d like to volunteer or have questions, reach out to us at Nooksack.DNA@hotmail.com. If you’re emailing to volunteer, please indicate if you'd prefer moderate or more challenging sites, and if you prefer weekends or weekdays.
Once at the sample site it takes about 15 minutes to set up, collect the sample, and pack up to head to the next location. It is quicker, easier, and more fun with two people, so we encourage but don’t require pairs. Most volunteers cover 5-10 samples in a day depending on the amount of driving and walking needed between sites. Dogs are welcome, and fishing is an option after you collect the sample. The remaining sample sites to collect are shown in orange in the map below.
If you’d like to volunteer or have questions, reach out to us at Nooksack.DNA@hotmail.com. If you’re emailing to volunteer, please indicate if you'd prefer moderate or more challenging sites, and if you prefer weekends or weekdays.
what we're looking for Canyon Creek Dolly Varden
All of the collected samples will tested for the presence of:
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preliminary resultsWe launched this project in 2020 with a focus on native Bull Trout and Dolly Varden. Our preliminary results from last year found bull trout to be quite widespread. The results also confirmed that in Canyon Creek (a tributary to the North Fork Nooksack), there resides a population of Dolly Varden, but no bull trout eDNA was found above the canyon (a suspected fish passage barrier). We have also found presence of Dolly Varden in the upper South Fork Nooksack.
The project created so much local interest, and with the large variety of native anadromous fish in the Nooksack, an innovative new test was developed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) with local community funding to cover all the local species of interest. Nearly all of these species are native to the Nooksack and spend part of their lives in both the river and the ocean. The Nooksack basin samples from this project will be tested for all these species (listed to the left) and provide a comprehensive snapshot of Nooksack River fish. Preliminary results from this test have shown Coastal Cutthroat in all 3 forks of the Nooksack and far up some headwaters, and Pacific Lamprey to be common in the lower elevation tributaries and coastal creeks. |
additional resources
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Project Overview Video
Click here to watch. This 30 minute video features project leader Mike Young from the US Forest Service National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation providing an overview of the project and explanation of eDNA. Project Overview Slides Found here. Slides from the overview video. USFS eDNA Sampling Instructions Found here. The primary instructional guide for how to effectively collect eDNA samples. Please read this before you pick up the sampling equipment. |
USFS eDNA Sampling Short Tip Sheet
Found here. A tip sheet of reminders while in the field. ArcGIS Explorer Map and Navigation Instructions Found here. Instructions on how to install and use the ArcGIS Explorer map application on your phone. If you don’t have a GPS, you can use your phone but need to download the maps to your phone as most sample areas do not have cell coverage. You will also use the GPS or phone to record the latitude and longitude coordinates of where you collected the sample. |
sample sites
eDNA in the media
"Some animal species are indicators of ecosystem health—the proverbial canary in a coal mine. In the case of Washington state’s North Cascades, two such species are Dolly Varden trout and Sasquatch, both of which require pristine, intact environments to survive. On a recent expedition, The Flyfish Journal editor Jason Rolfe joined conservationist and modern-day monkey wrencher Bridget Moran to search for both."
Check out the first of this two-part short film series from The Flyfish Journal here. |
"In summer 2022, The Dollysquatch team went back for more, this time swapping four wheels for two. We arrived on dirt roads through low clouds, light rain and just enough fog to wonder about the weather ahead, which added a misty mood to an otherwise typical Pacific Northwest summer.
Electric bikes poured out of vehicles, along with snack-filled backpacks for the calorie burn, then eDNA sampling gear and plenty of fly fishing equipment. The bikes would power us through washed-out forest service roads deep into North Cascade Sasquatch territory." Check out the second of The Flyfish Journal's short film series here. |
Beers, backcountry, e-bikes: Angler scientists at work
"A volunteer chapter in Washington State is going the distance to collect trout and salmon eDNA samples in their home water." Check out this excellent blog post from Trout Unlimited's Greg Fitz and dive deeper into how the project came about and what we hope to accomplish. |
our phenomanal sponsors & parnters
We'd like to give a huge round of applause to our financial supporters at 4th Corner Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited, Orvis, The Confluence Fly Shop, and Dryft. We also want to thank those who have collaborated with us on grant support and sampling design review, as well as those who assisted with land access (Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Whatcom Land Trust, Seattle City Light, and City of Bellingham). Finally, a massive thanks to our boots-on-the-ground volunteers and NSTU members.
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