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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Leaders ask Oregon, Washington governors to ban oil-by-train ... Medford water officials flush their office lines due to a metallic taste ... Federal judge sides with OSF in insurance suit over wildfire smoke ... Leaders ask Oregon, Washington governors to ban oil-by-train ... Medford water officials flush their office lines due to a metallic taste ... Federal judge sides with OSF in insurance suit over wildfire smoke ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Contraption at base of Lost Creek dam is a fish-survey trap Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News After reading your fine Oregon Outdoors story about the stonefly hatch below Lost Creek dam, I went up there to fish it. I couldn't help but notice a huge mechanical thing that appears to be a fish trap at the base of the dam. What exactly is that, and what's it for? — H.H., Medford That contraption is, indeed, a fish trap, H.H., and it's part of an experiment to see whether fish from Lost Creek Lake could survive a swim through the dam's hydroelectric turbines and reach the upper Rogue River's impoundment between the dam and Cole Rivers Hatchery. It's called a "screw trap," and fish that enter it swim through a spiral before coming to rest alive in the base of the trap. It's a standard trap used to count, for instance, out-migrating smolts in a tributary or other stream. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses this particular trap for surveys at its Willamette Valley dams and brought it to Lost Creek Lake last August for a run, says David Tucker, the Corps' assistant operations manager for the Rogue Basin projects. The trap was run for about six weeks, catching six bluegill, one rainbow trout, five yellow perch, five sculpin and three spotted bass, Tucker says. Dan VanDyke, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Rogue District fish biologist, says all the warmwater fish most likely came from the lake, including the spotted bass, which are the latest warmwater fish to be illegally stocked in Lost Creek Lake. VanDyke says the trout and sculpin could have come from the impoundment stretch, which fly-fishers call the "Holy Water." Right now, the trap is in place but inoperable because the entry point for the fish is out of the water. VanDyke says the plan in this joint Corps-ODFW project is to run the trap again in late summer as the reservoir draws down. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501