What are my A03 lab mates up to?

This week, I decided to see what some of my lab mates were up to. Choosing some of the most readily accessible sites (specifically to Trinity Campus), I visited Abby and Caroline’s sites each in Centennial Woods, and Sam’s site at Salmon Hole. Without access to their blogs, I decided to just drop into the sites on google maps.

After observing the online sites, I decided to visit Salmon Hole (Sam N’s site) in person. I had never been to Salmon Hole before so I came to the site with no knowledge of the area. I learned that Salmon Hole is basically a rock formation along the Winooski River. The site faces the dam, which on top lies the bridge to Winooski. I thought the shoreline was very cool, and we walked pretty far out. I assume that the water level fluctuates a lot and determines how far one can walk out each day. Today, the water was fairly high, nevertheless, we opted to go out as far as we could. Fish congregation at Salmon Hole is largely dependent on water temperature, level, flow rate and seasonal migrations. However, in general, this area provides key habitat and forage for many species and provides top-notch shoreline fishing opportunities in a truly convenient setting.

What I found really interesting upon further research is that from the Winooski One Dam downstream to the first railroad bridge, Salmon hole is closed to fishing between March 15 and June 1 to protect spawning walleye and endangered lake sturgeon. There seems to be an active stewardship control over the area, which is admirable from the point of view of a new visitor/resident.

12/11 View of Salmon Hole from above the dam

While there, we saw an a muskrat and some other small fish in the water. The rocks were also really cool. They are all layered and seem to be a bit weathered (shown in the picture below). Additionally, I thought it was interesting that there was a harsh current is one area while another area was a bit more calm. Due to the weather, some small pools of water were frozen, while others weren’t (determined on size). Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Salmon Hole and will definitely be going again, as it is within walking distance to my residence hall!