Tim Ricks
| Dear Friends, Although I wasn't sure that it was possible, life after Logan has treated me pretty good. After leaving USU, I was quickly offered a fisheries job with an environmental consulting firm in Logan. Over the next 14 months I was able to work on several projects in Utah, Arizona and Nevada built around a handful of endangered and threatened Colorado River fishes. The primary project was working with the endangered Razorback sucker in Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas. The opportunities of this project have been ample and covering anything from picking trammel nets in 120 degree weather, boating through volcanic canyons in absolute darkness sampling for larvae, and following migration routes using sonic telemetry equipment, not to say anything about the Vegas night life. Most of the other projects I was able to assist on dealt with a few endangered and threatened fishes within the Virgin River in southwestern Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Given the recent drought history of the watershed coupled with historic water right battles, "insignificant" species like the Woundfin minnow, Virgin spinedace, and Virgin River chub have suffered even though being some of the first additions to the Endangered Species list. Although frustrating, the ability to work in such a cause has been very rewarding. I owe much to the experience and education that I gathered while attending USU. At the beginning of August 2002, I walked away from the responsible lifestyle and rode my bicycle in a solo, self contained adventure from Seattle, Washington to Kittery, Maine. A journey of 4100 miles, 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces, and hours worth of stories. I have since returned and am now working towards furthering my fisheries experience and getting into graduate school by this coming fall. Tim Ricks |
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