Week 1- Hit the Ground Running

     My first week as a CMOP intern has been mostly about assimilation to the entire process, CMOP, and my specific project as a whole; I've definitely had to hit the ground running. That being said, I'm excited and looking forward to becoming more involved in the particulars of my project, which consists of using models to evaluate the changes in habitat opportunity for salmon and lamprey amidst variations in hydropower operation and climate change. I'm working with two other interns, Althea Walker and Cynthia Boshell, who are compiling copious amounts of data on both species so that filters (parameters) for the model can be more succinctly defined (especially for the lamprey). Once we define what the key filters are, I will run the model and see what results I get.
     These results will have important implications on the future negotiations of the Columbia River Treaty. Having met with some of the elders on the commission board and other exec members of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) this week to discuss this project and what benefits it might yield, I'm really hoping the data will yield results that will be beneficial for CRITFC's struggle to defend tribal rights.