Join KLLT and the Klamath Basin Audubon Society for a birding event, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015 at the Skillet Handle.

The hike will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the main parking lot for the Skillet Handle on Copper's Hawk Road. To get there from Klamath Falls, take Lakeshore Drive to Hwy 140, turn right onto Hwy 140 and head west until you get to the entrance of Running Y, turn right onto Running Y Road, at Copper's Hawk Road, turn left, then proceed on this road until you get to the parking lot for the Skillet Handle.

The hike is approximately 3 miles roundtrip and will last about 3 hours. 

Be sure to bring bug repellant, sunscreen, and plenty of water.

We hope you can make it!

It was a little messy, but it was worth it! 

At the first Third Thursday of 2015, KLLT and the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust teamed up for an interactive display featuring live macroinvertebrates of the Link River. Dozens of kids and parents lined up to catch and identify macroinvertebrates that we pulled out of the Link River just a couple hours prior to the event. 

Come downtown July 16 , 2015 to see what we have going on at the second Third Thursday!

What is an aquatic macroinvertebrate? 

"Aquatic" means water, "macro" means big (or big enough for us to see without using a microscope) and "invertebrate" means without a backbone. So an aquatic macroinvertebrate is a water bug that we can see with our naked eye. Many of these macroinvertebrates make their homes in rocks, leaves and sediment in stream beds. Some of these insects and non-insects spend their entire lives in water, like scuds, clams, mussels and snails. However, usually just the larva and nymph stages (the immature stages of insects' lives) are spent in water. Then the larva or nymph will spend it's adult life out of the water. 

Why care about aquatic macroinvertebrates?

They are indicators of water quality. Different types of macroinvertebrates tolerate different stream conditions and levels of pollution. Depending on the types of macroinvertebrates found in a stream, predictions about water quality can be made. For example, caddisflies, mayflies, and stoneflies can not live in polluted water. If these bugs are found in a stream, the water quality there is probably good. However, that doesn't mean that if these bugs are not found in a stream the water quality is bad. Other factors like temperature and flow also come into play. These bugs prefer cold rushing water, so a stream that has good water quality, but is a slow-moving stream in a desert may not have these bugs.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are also an important part of aquatic and terrestrial food chains. They graze on algae and break down leaves and sticks that fall into the water. They are also an important food source for fish.

Source: Utah State University