Final Reflection

My experience of doing a senior project was fantastic and I highly recommend it to upcoming classes.  Everyday I was outdoors and in a national park, which is not something, most people can say they have been doing for the past three weeks. Being an avid fisherman, going to both the Chattahoochee Forest National Hatchery and the Buford Hatchery were eye-opening experiences for me.  I am so happy that I got the chance to do a senior project I learned a lot and had a great time doing it.

            The original question we were asking in our project is what effects do humans have on fish populations on the Chattahoochee River. The answer to the question is that humans pretty much control the fish populations on the river. There are many different effects that humans can have on fish populations. There is stocking, pollution, overfishing, and water flow from the dams. All of these factors effect the fish populations in different ways. The only native species of trout in the river is the Brown Trout, so the only way that we get Rainbows and Brook trout is through stocking. The Buford Hatchery and the Chattahoochee Forest National Hatchery are the two most significant hatcheries in providing fish for the river. The Buford Hatchery receives most of its fish from the National Hatchery. Both organizations rely on government funding to operate; this was a complaint by both hatcheries. The hatcheries each have a biologist that says how much fish need to be put in the river so there is not over or under population, we were told finding this equilibrium is the hardest job at the hatcheries. If it were not for the hatcheries we would have no Rainbow or Brook trout and then the Brown trout would not have as much food.

            Once the fish are in the river there is no controlling where they go. Biologist have put in tracking devices on fish put in the river near Lovett and found them up by the Buford Hatchery. This shows how fish don’t stay where you put them they travel to the location where they are most likely to thrive. The two major factors that effect where the fish go are dam releases and pollution. Through my experience on the river I rarely caught fish where there was a lot of pollution. The water near Lovett is very murky and dark which makes it hard for trout to hunt. In addition if there is a large dam release then the water will push a lot of sediment down river making the water even murkier. Although there are trout in the river near Lovett and inside the perimeter of Atlanta, the majority of their population is past Morgan Falls Dam. It was recommended by our guide that if we wanted to catch the most fish, fish north of Morgan Falls Dam as there is less pollution and we would be less likely to encounter a dam release.

            In conclusion, humans have everything to do with fish population on the river. The farther downstream you go the more pollution you encounter. If you are above Morgan Falls dam then you only have one dam to worry about releases and that is the Buford Dam. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to do a senior project. I had such a great time that I have already spoken to Pat, our contact at the Buford Hatchery, about potentially interning next summer.