Wyoming State Science Fair Champion Passionate About Crow Creek

Shortgo Posted On March 17, 2019

Shelby Hoobler competed in the Wyoming State Science Fair and took home first place in the Earth and Environmental Science category with a project focused on Crow Creek.

Her achievement’s don’t stop there. Shelby Hoobler was nominated to compete in the 2019 Broadcome Masters National Science Fair, received the Water Award from the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association and Geo-science Excellence from the Association for Women Geo-scientists and many other achievements. This was all in additional to over $1,000 in cash awards earned during the Wyoming State Science Fair. A project to have received this number of accolades was driven by Hoobler’s passion for Crow Creek. The primary water resource of Laramie County and a critical part of the region’s history.

Shelby expressed her inspiration for competing in the Science Fair, “I was inspired the most by all the opportunities that you can get through the science fairs and just seeing so many people do amazing projects. For my own project, I’ve done two prior projects in Crow Creek and wanted to continue my projects dealing with this wonderful resource. Crow Creek is an important natural resource to Cheyenne and we all need to start treating it that way.”

Hoobler further explained what she gained from doing this project. She learned about habitat, restoration, sediment and dam types; especially as it relates to how it can improve the health of streams. Throughout the decades the City of Cheyenne’s development has impacted Crow Creek’s health, this is referred to as urbanization and Hoobler’s project addressed how this impacts the natural resources.

Matt Hoobler, father of Shelby has a long history with Crow Creek and his passion for the outdoors is a shared interest of his daughter’s.

“The outdoors to me remain the best classroom for youth and I’m blessed to have a daughter who has always loved going afield and exploring.” shared Shelby’s Father, Matt Hoobler.

The Crow Creek Revival shares this same perspective and is working to supply areas for interactive learning displays and opportunities along the Crow Creek stretch. The restoration will cover 1.2 miles from Happy Jack down to Lincolnway. Comprised of stakeholders, the group is focused on the restoration of Crow Creek. Ten percent of the restoration designs is expected to be released in April and will address many of the issues identified by Wyoming State Science Fair Champion, Shelby Hoobler.

“Shelby has worked super hard and consumed so much information about how to restore Crow Creek in Cheyenne that it’s exciting to see someone so young with a passion for making her hometown a cleaner and better place.” further shared Shelby’s Father.

Matt Hoobler serves on the Crow Creek Revival committee and has an extensive background in stream restoration activities. His daughter Shelby has followed in his footsteps and has applied her expertise to the important water resources. From the Wyoming Science Fair Project on Crow Creek to actively restoring miles of various streams for the habitat and base-asset value benefit associated with an improved riparian corridor on the Pathfinder Ranches, the Hoobler family has the know-how and talent to make an impact.

Inspired by Shelby Hoobler?

ENGAGE IN CROW CREEK NOW

: Shelby Hoobler collects the matting and sediment weights following their removal from Crow and Dry Creeks. This data helped understand the amount of sediment that is in each creek and the potential for restoration.

: A natural sediment dam forms in Dry Creek and creates a pool. Healthy streams have a functioning pool-riffle sequence that provides habitat for invertebrate species and spawning grounds for fish.

: Shelby Hoobler braves the cold October water of Crow Creek to assess her sediment collection sites.

: Shelby Hoobler used tent stakes to hold the sluice box matting in the “thalweg” of the Dry Creek stream channel. The thalweg is the lowest point of the channel.

: After a storm event ran water down Crow and Dry Creeks in Cheyenne, Shelby Hoobler inspected her Beaver Dam Analog structure for the collection of sediment. Notice the little pool that was created by this man-made beaver dam.

: An existing rock dam in Crow Creek served as a data collection location for Shelby Hoobler during her science fair data trials.

: Shelby Hoobler used sluice box matting to collect sediment above and below existing dams in Crow and Dry Creek. Sediment is important to streams as it creates the habitat needed for species, though too much or too little sediment can be bad for a stream.

: Shelby Hoobler builds a Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) structure in the channel of Dry Creek near Cheyenne. BDA’s are designed to create a pool-riffle sequence that helps streams reconnect to their floodplain and slow erosion.