A shocking study

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency interns Brad Jones and Jared Renner donned waders and grabbed their nets for some electrofishing last week. The team carried electrically charged nets and dragged electrical lines through a tributary of the Yellow Creek at Bergholz, Ohio. The electrical charge doesn’t harm the fish but pushes them toward the water’s surface for easier catching.
Brian Alsdorf, an EPA aquatic biologist, said counting the species and number of fish is a good indicator of water quality in the creek. The crew counted 36 species of fish Sept. 9. “That array of aquatic life here is because of outstanding water quality. I give this part of the creek an A,” Alsdorf said. He also said the water quality of Yellow Creek – despite acid mine drainage troubles – rivals that of any other creek in the state.