The past two months at Greenfire Preserve have been eventful for Jonathan Suk and me as summer interns for Western Watersheds Project.

We used a McNeil sediment core sampling device to document the percent fines in anadromous and resident salmonid spawning habitat. We sampled 31 sites in seven watersheds in the Challis National Forest lands.

Work days were long and labor-intensive, but we were rewarded with invaluable data. Invaluable for two reasons: first, WWP now has access to real-time data on the level of depth fines in the streams on the Challis National Forest. Second, the numbers and figures give an accurate account of the prevailing conditions in the streams sampled in the forest.

During our training session with Thomas Herron from the Department of Environmental Quality, we were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a few dozen fish eggs in one of the sieves. A few of the eggs seemed alive and viable, while the majority seemed unviable for fry emergence even before we sieved the sample containing the eggs.

Even in that unfortunate moment, it was beautiful to have witnessed the near-beginning of this important life cycle. To have witnessed it in such a natural setting is an experience that few people will have in their lifetimes, seeing the start of a life cycle that culminates in an arduous migration.

On a more somber note, the data we collected doesn't bode well for the fish spawning in the streams that we sampled. The data showed a disturbing trend in the conditions of the streams managed by the Challis National Forest.

One-third of the sites sampled this summer were below the level requiring immediate action by Challis National Forest for salmon protection. Of these 11 sites, eight violated levels that require action to protect bull trout and other fish.

This is a clear warning signal for the health of fish in the Challis National Forest. If additional data follows the trend we discovered this summer, I am certain that management methods in the forest will have to change drastically in the direction of conservation.

We all know the challenges that lie before us in this endeavor, given the policies of the current Administration. However, we also know that Western Watersheds Project is more than capable of changing the policies of resource management in order to provide the required stewardship of the lands we have been given.

Jonathan and I appreciate the opportunity to work with such a distinguished organization, and we wish WWP the best of luck in all its projects.

Subit Chandran is an undergraduate in Environmental Studies at the University of Idaho.