Master's degree students in Kentucky State University's Aquaculture department removed more than 250 pounds of fish from the Buffalo Trace Distillery's lower-lying areas after historic flooding earlier this month.
"My passion for fisheries and bourbon industry is unwavering," said Cole Daleiden.
Not only is Daleiden a few months from graduating, but he also gives tours at Buffalo Trace.
"It'll definitely be something that is unforgettable," Daleiden said.
The rescue operation began when Buffalo Trace Distillery discovered fish from the Kentucky River trapped on their property following the flooding.
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"I was very excited when the best of both worlds here in Frankfort kind of aligned," Daleiden said.
Andrew Ray, one of Daleiden's professors, noted the unusual nature of the situation.'
"I mean fish that are trapped as a result of flooding," Ray said. "That's pretty rare. Yeah, first I've really heard of it."
The team had to act quickly to save the fish, which had somehow traveled more than a quarter mile from the river before becoming stranded at the distillery.
"Time was of the essence really. The weather was receding in that pond, the temperature was increasing, and the dissolved oxygen was going down. So these are things we can measure and quantify, and it was getting more risky for the fish. So we had to hop in and get it done," Ray said.
The rescued fish will temporarily stay at KSU to recover before being returned to their natural habitat in the Kentucky River. The Kentucky State Aquaculture Research Team retrieved more than a dozen different species.
"I knew we had the resources here to handle it. It was very smooth," Daleiden said.
The rescue effort highlighted the community spirit in Franklin County.
"Buffalo Trace is our neighbor. We want to be good neighbors. We want to help out anyway we can. I think everybody at that time, around the flooding, was kind of worried about their neighbors," Ray said.
Among the rescued species was the Bigmouth Buffalo fish. Daleiden and Dr. Ray noted this was fitting not only because of the name but because the fish is known for its resilience, living on average around 80 years.
"It's been a transformative experience and a very moving couple of weeks," Daleiden said.
This story was originally published by Ajay Patel with the Scripps News Group in Lexington, Ky.
