Why scientists are dropping fish from airplanes into mountain lakes

Every year, scientists drop thousands of fish out of airplanes over Utah’s mountains, and no, it’s not a stunt or a glitch in the weather. It’s a carefully planned conservation and recreation strategy that has quietly kept remote lakes fishable for decades.Every summer, Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) loads small trout and other species into specially designed tanks on light aircraft, flies over high‑elevation lakes, and releases the fish into the air so they fall into the water below, as per reports. From the ground, it can look like a spray of glitter or confetti coming from the plane’s tail. In reality, it’s an efficient way to stock lakes that would be almost impossible to reach with trucks or boats.Utah’s mountain lakes are popular with hikers and anglers, especially when the weather is good and trails are open.