Heroes of Conservation: March 2007

Bill Mcwha, Suffield, Connecticut
Spreading the Shad

About eight years ago, Bill McWha, a UPS truck driver, started volunteering his free time at Massachusetts' Holyoke Dam on the Connecticut River, counting and weighing salmon. In talking with fellow volunteers, he discovered there was a problem with the area's spawning shad. "As many as 400,000 shad would come through at Holyoke, and only 2,000 at the next dam upstream," he says. With a lot of time to think behind the wheel of his truck, McWha dreamed up a fish ladder alternative—a rubber dam that could be deflated to allow shad to continue upstream. His design got the attention of Alex Haro, Ph.D., of the U.S. Geological Survey, who began helping McWha to develop it. McWha is raising support with the goal of having a prototype by early 2008.

Chris Scalley, Roswell, Georgia
Sustaining the City Trout

Not many cities have a million people and a self-sustaining trout stream. Atlanta is one, and Chris Scalley is making sure it stays that way. Growing up, he scoured the Chattahoochee for stonefly nymphs. "My childhood on the river helped me learn about the trout menu," Scalley says. But after becoming a guide on the Hooch, he learned that no one knew exactly what the fish were feeding on. In 1998, Scalley started the Chattahoochee Coldwater Fishery Foundation to collect information on the river's macroinvertebrates. The group presented its data to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which determined that there might be a sufficient food supply to support wild trout. In 2003, the DNR stopped stocking rainbows to see if the river could sustain the fishery. Pending official findings, Scalley is encouraged by the fact that of all the trout his clients now catch here, 70 to 80 percent are wild browns.

Mick Mickelson, Pocatello, Idaho
Protecting Idaho's Waters

Mick Mickelson has spent his life making sure things stay in working shape, both as an orthopedic surgeon and in his efforts to protect Idaho’s freshwater resources. "I've seen degraded river systems across our country, and I wanted to avoid those scenarios here," he says. In the early 1980s, he cofounded the Henry’s Fork Foundation to protect and enhance this world-famous resource and its rainbow trout. The group has prevented seven hydroelectric dams from impacting the river and persuaded the state to implement catch-and-release regulations. Mickelson has also cofounded two Ducks Unlimited Sponsors chapters, served on the board of the Nature Conservancy's Idaho chapter, and is a watchdog of the Idaho conservation community. "Streams and ecosystems are sensitive to neglect and increasing human impact. We have a chance to protect many unique areas in our beautiful state."

-- Kimberly Hiss

See Previous Heroes from:

Finalists Gale Dupree John Walther Bob Capron Nancy Craft Gordon and Terri Southwick Les Monostory Previous Months November September August July June May April March February	Finalists Howard Kern William Edwards Derek Fong Billy Sandifer Mark Taylor Jon Hillmer Previous Months November September August July June May April March February	Finalists Hod Kosman Chad Pregracke Andy Batcho Jim Tripp and Sandra Millan-Tripp Dale Rollins Charles Lane Previous Months November September August July June May April March February	Finalists Brian Maguire Joan Vernon Philip Babe Harlan Kredit Chris Scalley Robert Miles Previous Months November September August July June May April March February
Finalists Paul Morrow Jim Cummins Jeff Olson Ronnie Luster Steve Simmons Chris Tompkins Previous Months September August July June May April March February January