This summer has been spent donning my daily uniform of waders, pockets full of batteries and tools, and a layer of dirt and sweat. On some days, I’m also equipped with a five-pound sonde for measuring water quality or a six-foot pole for finding temperature loggers. My equipment makes me feel like a true scientist, but it often makes the public think I’m something else: an angler.
At first, when I passed curious river users who asked me what I was fishing for, I felt like I was letting them down by not being able to reply with “rainbows” or “whatever will bite.” But as the weeks went on, I began to grow proud of my response: “We’re hoping to catch some data!”
In the past ten weeks as an aquatic ecology technician with the Henry’s Fork Foundation, I’ve done just that. It’s been an honor to share my “catch” with you all, whether that’s through our live river conditions, swapping stories on the water, or here on the blog. Please enjoy the video below as I share what I’ve spent my summer fishing for one last time.
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
Drone photo taken on September 9, 2026 The Henry’s Fork Drought Management Planning Committee met on Wednesday, September 16 2026 to develop an updated reservoir management strategy. Downstream of the Henry’s Fork watershed, lower-valley irrigation demand over the rest of the season is anticipated to be slightly lower than projected last week, so Island Park Reservoir and Grassy Lake (in the Fall River drainage) do not need to deliver any more water out of the
