Why aquatic insect conservation?
Aquatic insects represent the core of freshwater food webs and biodiversity. They are the primary food of trout, along with many birds and other important animals. They also support local economies by creating renowned angling opportunities. Unfortunately, they’re also declining.
Aquatic insects – including our flagship species, the giant salmonfly – are currently being threatened by pollution, dewatering, habitat loss, and warming. Even where trout, birds, and other wildlife are still abundant, insects often decline in abundance and biodiversity. What does this mean? Impaired watersheds, declining biodiversity, and poor fishing.
Our Mission
Our mission is to conserve aquatic insects for future generations through research, monitoring, education, and sound management and restoration practices.
Our Vision
Abundant and diverse aquatic insect communities and strong hatches that sustain birds, trout, and quality fishing.
Our work
We believe that the best solution is a holistic approach. We work together with diverse interests – anglers, birders, scientists, and conservationists – to research aquatic insects, monitor populations, educate the community, prevent future declines, and restore streams and rivers. Join us.
Meet the Co-Founders
Executive Director
Jackson Birrell, PhD
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Jackson Birrell, is a PhD graduate from the University of Montana, where he studied the factors that shape aquatic insect distributions and the causes of salmonfly declines across the Rockies. He co-founded The Salmonfly Project to help conserve the stream insects he loves for future generations. His commitment to conservation stems from a deep wonder of aquatic insects and their natural history, ecology, and biodiversity. He loves sharing his knowledge of entomology with others and wishes everyone to experience the joy of wild, biodiverse rivers.
Chief Operating Officer
James Frakes, MS
Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer, James Frakes, is a graduate from the University of Montana where he received his Master's degree in Aquatic Ecology. As an avid fly fisherman, he understands the ecological, economic, and cultural importance of aquatic insects. His research showed that declines in insect hatches, like salmonflies, are likely due to complex, interacting stressors, including warming water temperatures and increasing levels of pollution. He is passionate about continuing his research, establishing new monitoring programs, and developing restoration projects to save the hatches he knows and loves.
Our Story
It all began with a simple question asked by two graduate students: ‘Why are salmonflies disappearing from some rivers and not others?What can we do about it’ Answering this question became the main driver of our graduate research and now, our life’s work. Like most good science, our research has lead to many important insights (read about them, here), and even more questions. Ultimately, our work shows that aquatic insect declines, including those of giant salmonflies, are caused by complex combinations of subtle stressors that vary from river to river. This is why establishing new, widespread research and monitoring programs is so important — without good data, we won’t be able to ‘Save the Hatch’.
Indeed, compared to fish and birds, aquatic insects are rarely studied by big-name conservation organizations. We started The Salmonfly Project to fill in the gap and named the organized after the amazing species that first got us in to research during our university days. We’re here to unravel the mystery of the disappearing aquatic insects, improve stream insect management practices, and perform sound restoration projects. Our work not only helps to conserve aquatic insects, but also fish, birds, and people that rely on them.