My name is Kathryn (Kate) Shiffler and I am the field work intern here at the foundation this summer! I am a rising sophomore at the University of Idaho, with a dual major in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Science. Although, from my work here so far, fisheries and aquatic science is starting to call my name. Crazy how one (or half of one) internship can change your mind so quickly!
Monday – Believe it or not, office work to start the week off!
Usually I will do research, run data analysis, or read scientific papers applicable to the Henry’s Fork. Lately I have been working on some projects for my mentor (Dr. Jack McLaren).
Tuesday – More office work, usually finishing up whatever I didn’t get done the previous day. Sometimes I will get pulled away to help with other field tasks, which is great! It gives me the opportunity to have a variety of experiences.
Wednesday – Island Park Reservoir data collection!
This is oneof my favorite parts of the week. We take the boat out to five sample sites to collect water quality data. The device we use measures things like depth, temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Seeing the data in real-time as we collect it is always so cool.
Thursday – Harriman State Park Temperature Loggers!
Every Thursday, a fellow intern (Tate Sargeant) and I will take kayaks out on the ranch to download the data from our temperature loggers in the river. This is my primary responsibility here at HFF. We have sixteen locations we sample, so it’s an all day adventure. We start at the Last Chance Anglers Access and float all the way down to Riverside Campground. A long day and the relentless sun quickly taught us that taking food, water, and lots of sunscreen are essential for these trips.
Friday – The last day of the work week for me is usually used to finish up any extra tasks from the week. I will process the temperature logger data so we can get it pushed to the website for the public to see.
For the first half of my internship, it was unclear if we would get to install the snow monitoring stations. With only three weeks left in my internship, the parts arrived, the permitting was approved, and I am happy to say that we have three stations in the ground! Dr. Lang, Joe, and I were like three kids on Christmas opening up all the boxes, only a little more careful due to the fragility of
Our Aquatic Ecology Program Manager, Dr. Jack McLaren, joined Idaho Falls city and FIPS-Mouche leadership at the opening ceremony parade along the Snake River Greenbelt to welcome competitors to the watershed and to make sure conservation was front and center.
Drone photo of Island Park Dam taken on September 9, 2026 Looking Back on September September brought lows and highs to Island Park. Island Park Reservoir started September at 29% full and quickly fell to a low of 12% full on September 19. The rapid drawdown of the reservoir was the result of managers needing to move water downstream to American Falls (to irrigate farms in the Magic Valley with senior water rights). Such low
This story was written by Audrey Hunter (2026 intern) and was originally published in the Fall 2026 Newsletter. It’s no secret that late summers on Island Park Reservoir haven’t been in perfect conditions in recent years. Warm, turbid, algae-filled water plague reservoir recreationists while diminishing water quality downstream. Cyclical algal blooms decrease water clarity and create less-than-ideal circumstances for the reservoir’s flora and fauna. What’s the solution? HFF’s DIRTT Plan. In-Reservoir Oxygenation Nutrients released from
