A Visit to Fish Slough

After spending my first two days on the job in riparian assessment training, I got to slow down a bit today and spend a little time at Fish Slough with Martin, our botanist. Fish Slough is located about 5 miles north of Bishop on the Volcanic Tableland. The meager amount of precipitation we get passes through the porous volcanic rock, flows underground, and then escapes to the surface from three springs that form the slough. The area is home to a number of unique and sensitive species and is designated as a BLM Area of Environmental Concern (ACEC).

The only Federally listed plant species in our field office jurisdiction is found here: the Fish Slough milk-vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus ssp. piscinensis). It is found on the alkali flats surrounding the slough. It can be difficult to locate, but we were fortunate enough to have both blooms and fruits to help us. I think the fruits look like some sort of alien cocoon.

What could be more exciting than a Federally Threatened plant? How about a Federally Endangered fish! Fish Slough is the last remaining home of the Owens pupfish. Previously found throughout the Valley, they succumbed to water loss from diversions and the introduction of exotic fish species. Pupfish are adapted to survive in warm, salty water with little oxygen. The flashy males are territorial, and I spent some time watching them patrol the spring.