This article was published on: 12/21/22 2:27 PM
In Sept. 2020, the Archie Creek fire near Roseburg burned all 5,000 acres of the Hinkle Creek watershed, home to rainbow, cutthroat and steelhead trout.
Oregon State University scientists who had been studying the fish for years figured the loss of tree cover would mean warmer stream temperatures that would stress, and ultimately kill, many of the fish.
Instead, the researchers found that by the end of the summer the following year, trout populations were not only unimpacted but had grown in some areas.
-Alex Baumhardt