Kearney Canal project gives UNK students real-world training in fisheries biology
KEARNEY – The temperature was still in the mid-30s when they arrived at the first sampling site.
As the rising sun bathed nearby Yanney Park in a pink and orange hue, the University of Nebraska at Kearney students prepared for their morning assignment.
Protected by chest waders and neoprene gloves and armed with long dip nets, they made their way down the bank and into the chilly water – then waited for the signal.
“Is everybody set? Are we ready to go?” biology professor Melissa Wuellner hollered from downstream.
“3-2-1.”
The electrofishing backpack was activated, and they had their first specimen moments later.
“Flathead,” one student confirmed before placing the catfish in a floating sled. Over the next 30 minutes, dozens more fish followed.
It’s all part of a long-term sampling project led by Wuellner that documents fish species in the Kearney Canal each fall while giving UNK undergraduate and graduate students hands-on field experience.
Monitoring a Changing Ecosystem
Wuellner began the canal study in 2018, partnering with Nebraska Game and Parks to collect data at the same three locations each year – near 11th Street, 16th Street and the UNK College of Education.
More than 30 species have been identified so far, including river carpsuckers, walleye, gar, perch and multiple types of bass, catfish and sunfish.
“Rivers, streams and canals are very dynamic systems. They’re constantly changing, and the fish change, too,” Wuellner said. “By going to the same spots every single time, we have a better comparison from year to year.”
The project has already revealed surprising biodiversity in the manmade waterway – and it helps scientists monitor ecological concerns. In 2022, for example, the team documented bighead carp in the canal for the first time. Considered an invasive species, they compete with native fish for food and can disrupt entire aquatic ecosystems.
Although the carp likely can’t survive long-term in the canal since the water level is lowered before winter, their presence signals activity in the nearby Platte River.
“It gives us a clearer picture of what’s happening throughout the watershed,” Wuellner said. “Nebraska has numerous canals across the state, and most of them are connected to a larger body of water. It’s important to understand how these systems influence what happens both upstream and downstream.”
Operated by Nebraska Public Power District, the Kearney Canal supplies water for agricultural irrigation and a small hydroelectric facility. It’s also used for recreational activities such as fishing and kayaking.
In addition to that system, Wuellner and her students currently work with Game and Parks on sampling projects at Lake McConaughy, Lake Ogallala, Medicine Creek Reservoir and Harlan County Reservoir, along with a statewide project that focuses on largemouth bass populations at several locations.
For Game and Parks, the UNK partnership provides valuable research support – and a pipeline of future biologists.
“This partnership allows us to conduct ongoing monitoring while helping develop the next generation of fisheries professionals,” said Keith Koupal, assistant division administrator of fisheries research. “Not only do we get answers to the questions that our management and hatcheries staff might have, but we also have a cadre of undergraduate and graduate students here who we hope to hire someday. It’s been a great partnership for us.”
Learning Outside the Classroom
Oliver Dunbar is one of the students who hopes to pursue a career as a fisheries biologist in Nebraska.
The Hastings native earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UNK in 2024 and recently started the master’s program. He’s participated in the Kearney Canal sampling for multiple years – first as an undergraduate in Wuellner’s ichthyology class and now as a graduate research assistant.
“This kind of long-term monitoring is really important,” he said. “Doing this every year gives us a dataset that allows us to compare the fish community over time. It’s surprising how many species we see right here in the middle of Kearney.”
Dunbar also works closely with Game and Parks staff for his graduate research project studying the recolonization of fish in Lake Ogallala following a chemical renovation in 2023.
“That collaboration is awesome,” he said. “The UNK fisheries biology program probably doesn’t exist without Game and Parks. They have their office just down the road from UNK and we do so much of our sampling together, sharing equipment and sharing personnel for projects. I’ve gotten to know the Game and Parks system really well, and that will be huge for me when I’m applying for a full-time position there in the future.”
Beyond the professional networking, Dunbar simply enjoys getting outside and getting his hands on some fish.
“These are standard fisheries procedures, hands-on skills that I’ll be using in my career,” he said. “You can’t really just go practice them on your own.”
While Dunbar is preparing for a future job, not every student in the canal has the same goal.
Hayley Blackstone, a senior from Mitchell majoring in health sciences with a biology minor, joined the sampling crew for the first time this fall after enrolling in the ichthyology course. She doesn’t plan to work in wildlife biology, but she does enjoy the outdoors and opportunities to learn by doing.
“I kind of have an interest in fish and thought this could be fun,” she said with a laugh. “And it has been. I’ve learned a lot so far.”
Although she grew up fishing with her grandfather, Blackstone was still surprised by how much diversity exists in Nebraska waterways.
“I don’t think I realized how many species there are just in Nebraska,” she said. “Being outside and actually seeing the fish we talk about in class makes it click. I definitely learn better this way.”
Whether her students pursue wildlife conservation, natural resources, biology or another path, Wuellner believes the experience is invaluable. Field sampling teaches them how to handle equipment, identify species and document ecological changes, and they also learn how to collaborate, problem-solve and adapt – skills relevant in any career.
“Here at UNK, we certainly value experiential learning. It’s one of our core values as a university,” Wuellner said. “We try to incorporate students into the learning experience as much as possible, whether it’s at the undergrad level or the graduate level. This allows them to better understand what careers are out there and gives them an experience that looks really good on a resume or during a job interview.”
That’s why they return every fall – knee-deep in cold water, nets in hand – ready to learn something new.
“We have fun every year,” Wuellner said. “You never know what you’re going to find, and that’s part of the excitement.”