Networking the rivers

For four years, Science on the Fly has nurtured a community science network to study distant rivers.

Allie Cunningham, Director of Science on the Fly

In a world plagued by rapid change and challenges, many of us are asking the question: “How can I help?” As individuals, it can be hard to find a way to give back and help steward the natural resources we rely on. But, for those who love fly fishing—anglers—Science on the Fly offers a path to do just that.

Science on the Fly engages the enthusiastic and passionate fly-fishing community, in the U.S. and abroad, as citizen scientists. Members of the fly-fishing community have close relationships with their local rivers—from having a favorite fishing hole, to knowing the seasonally anticipated flows of the river and when certain bugs are hatching. They are also more aware than most people of the impacts of climate change on local fisheries. In states like Colorado and Montana, anglers have given up the opportunity of even casting a fly rod at some points in the summer season. Why? The trout are too stressed and lethargic due to the droughts and rising water temperatures.

Crowdsourcing climate data

Fly-fishing citizen scientists are excellent resources for data collection and observation of climate trends to create a clearer picture of how rivers are changing over time. With their help, the number of rivers subject to long-term studies of water quality and watershed health can be increased. Since Science on the Fly was founded in 2019, data on nutrients and organic compounds has been collected from over 350 river sites across the United States each month.

The science collection process is straightforward and easy. Sample locations are chosen for their accessibility and interest to fly-fishing volunteers, who are responsible for collecting a small bottle of sterile river water from each location once a month, as well as data on air and water temperature. They then freeze the bottles and bulk ship them back to Woodwell Climate Research Center one or two times a year.

In Woodwell Climate’s environmental chemistry lab, the samples are analyzed for concentrations of nutrients such as nitrate, phosphate, silica, ammonium, dissolved organic carbon, and total dissolved nitrogen. All data is shared publicly, and after a year’s worth of data has been collected, a report is written on the state of the river for those sampling locations.

A rapidly expanding network

This project got to where it is extremely quickly. A year after the program was founded, it had grown from two citizen scientists to 140 enthusiastic river activists. Over the course of four years, more than 7,000 bottles have been placed into the hands of empowered citizen scientists.

It is easy to see how the program got here so fast; when a free tool-kit is offered to the passionate angler that can help them give back to their watershed, they want to get involved. While a kit isn’t necessarily cheap to put together, at a cost equaling $100 per bottle, it is an extremely effective way to add novel data to the climate science dataset on many watersheds—information that wouldn’t otherwise be gathered.

Science on the Fly is now exploring how best to integrate its water quality sampling and citizen scientist model with Woodwell Climate’s important research in the Alaskan Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Located at the lowest section of the permafrost belt, this region is experiencing rapid thaw as the climate warms. Could water quality collection be done in a way that tells the story of the rivers over time? Could anglers floating down these remote rivers provide samples in a timely manner? The answers found are yeses, but it has taken some practice to get there, and the region presented unique challenges that haven’t encounter in other regions.

The Science on the Fly core team now rafts, researches, and fishes vulnerable and wild rivers in this region—including the Arolik, Kanektok, Kisaralik, Kwethluk, and the Goodnews—each summer season. Each morning of the trip, the teams gear up and take a variety of samples and water quality measurements—including the collection of 60 mL sterile river water samples. Water temperature monitoring sensors are also installed or retrieved in the watershed, which provide river temperatures from the entire year. Some samples collected during the trips are used directly for the Science on the Fly program, while others help collect data for different research projects associated with Woodwell Climate or other organizations.

Building partnerships to sustain science

These research trips are only answering some questions, however. Data on the rivers’ nutrient concentrations throughout the summer season would also help answer questions—not just when team members are there for ten or fewer days a year per river. Like most science, it’s not inexpensive. It’s also not easy to logistically coordinate a river research trip—all the gear, travel, food, science supplies, safety equipment, and qualified team members to float—from afar.

PapaBear Adventures in Bethel, Alaska has solved the logistics coordination challenges. PapaBear is an operation that helps the adventurous outdoors person get to the headwaters of remote rivers, and gives them the tools they need to float the rivers on their own. They have been instrumental in meeting the transportation needs of other Woodwell Climate projects like the Polaris Project, and now they are helping Science on the Fly get anglers out to the rivers throughout the summer season.

Beyond working with PapaBear on transportation, Science on the Fly now stations a team member—Joe Mangiafico or Allie Cunningham, for now—at PapaBear for the summer months. This team member preps the research team’s trips, making sure they are properly prepared to go down the rivers with all materials needed. But the main goal is to encourage other PapaBear clients and their groups to be involved in the sampling. Pre-made kits are handed out to groups floating these rivers. After the groups get off the rivers, a Science on the Fly team member retrieves the filled sample kits and freezes them for shipping back to Woodwell Climate.

The data that has returned from these endeavors is already exciting.

In summer 2021, the Science on the Fly research team sampled two rivers, the Kwethluk and Kisaralik, and by a lucky ask to some passing groups of anglers, the Kanektok and Goodnews Rivers were sampled as well. There were a total of 45 samples collected that summer. The following summer, the combination of Science on the Fly research teams and new efforts to increase engagement with volunteer citizen science groups, allowed an increase of collections to 248 sample bottles. Data collection on the other rivers of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta were successfully increased, and the Arolik was added to the list. The hope is to accomplish even more in years to come.

Four years of Science on the Fly has shown that citizen scientists and citizen science programs can be a powerful way to collect data, conduct research, and educate the public through our reports. Now that a solid project structure has been built, with data coming in consistently, there is beginning to be more focus on making an impact with report writing and affecting policy—all while continuing to add to the growing body of water and climate science. Citizen-collected data will be used to create tangible reports for anglers to better understand their watersheds. These reports will then be used to help make an impact on policies, with the goal of creating or maintaining healthy watersheds, especially in the face of climate change. Science on the Fly looks forward to continuing to give back to citizen scientists and to the rivers.

header image: Science on the Fly notebook and sampling equipment. / photo by Ryan Delaney