I went out on a collecting/observing trip with some new students today in the upper Paint Rock River system in NE Alabama and found something reassuring. For one grad student's project we're going to look at microhabitat partitioning between darters. One of the sites I thought would be good for this is in a stretch of a Paint Rock trib where I found a large flame chub population 4 years ago. It's in a small, clear stream flowing out of a spring field from a bunch of small seeps coming out of the broken side of a mountain, running into the trib. We pulled up and I immediately saw lots of flames in the stream without having to net them out. I was happy to see this population still intact; I had to share the news.

We also found the first juvenile blotchside logperch I can remember seeing at our first stop, also reassuring.

That is good news Bruce. I would hope you have some pics to share. I have yet to snorkel with flaming Flame Chubs but hope to some day. So many springs a dammed now, they really have a tough go once we start tearing up their habitat.

That is good news Bruce. I would hope you have some pics to share. I have yet to snorkel with flaming Flame Chubs but hope to some day. So many springs a dammed now, they really have a tough go once we start tearing up their habitat.

I didn't get pictures of them yesterday. This small stream would be interesting to snorkel, it's not more than knee deep before it runs into the larger stream. It is, of course, very clear water. Too bad we can't go and snorkel Acuff Spring outside of Huntsville, but I think the homeowners association would call the sheriff on us... they're no fun.