2008 Projects
Brook Trout Restoration Lynn Camp Prong, Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee
The purpose of the project is to continue to restore the Southern Appalachian brook trout to a larger lower elevation stream within its historic range in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. To date, park biologists have restored 17.2 miles of historic range for brook trout. The successful completion of this project will add 8 miles to this total.
Chop and Drop in Sunday River, Maine
The objectives of this project are to restore riverine and riparian habitats as well as to improve ecological stream processes for native brook trout in the Sunday River drainage. Stream habitats in this drainage have been degraded by poor land use practices, including timber harvesting, log driving, farming, and commerical and recreational development. A half mile long treatment of each of two tributaries will receive woody debris. These tributaries and a nearby control will be monitored for geomorphic, chemical, biological, and flow responses.
Restoration of North Branch of the Hoosic River, Removal of the Briggsville, Massachusetts
This project will remove the Briggsville Dam in Clarksburg, Massachusetts to restore and reconnect approximately 30 miles of habitat in the North Branch Hoosic River. Removal of the dam will eliminate a barrier to the movement of aquatic and riparian species, re-establish the river's natural flow regime, improve water quality, improve the temperature regime for coldwater species, and restore natural clean gravel and cobble necessary for brook trout.
Whitethorn Creek Restoration, West Virginia
Whitethorn Creek, the most significant tributary in the Thorn Creek drainage of the South Branch of the Potomac, is historically recognized as supporting one of the best brook trout populations in West Virginia. This population has been significantly reduced in recent years as a result of land use impacts and two devastating flood events. The purpose of this project is to remove threats from agricultural impacts and in-stream habitat loss caused by the flood related activities by restoring approximately 1.5 miles of stream habitat and reestablishing 24 acres of riparian vegetation.
Relocation of an Unnamed Sea-Run Brook Trout Stream, Maine
This project seeks to reconnect the freshwater-estuarine interface on a historic sea-run brook trout stream. At some point in the past, the stream channel was diverted from its natural channel to its present location. The presence of a low-head dam and two marginally passable culverts have blocked connectivity to the marine environment for several decades. A partially degraded stream channel will be relocated back to its original position and rehabilitated to its historic function to allow brook trout to access both freshwater and marine environments. Once complete, the project will provide access to approximately 1 mile of stream habitat and an undetermined amount of marine habitat.
Habitat Enhancement Project for Brook Trout in the Asaph Run Watershed, Pennsylvania
The Asaph Run watershed has a high recreational use potential and is a popular stream with wild trout anglers. The project is located entirely on state forest land, open to free, year-round public use. The watershed has excellent public access via a state forest road that parallels much of the stream. However, the close proximity of the road to the stream has also resulted in problems including stream bank erosion and habitat degradation. Degraded brook trout habitat will be rehabilitated throughout a 3 mile stream reach. The project will be a significant long-term benefit to the watershed through enhancement of adult brook trout habitat and stabilization of the stream banks.
Brook Trout Habitat Improvements to McIntosh Brook, Allegany State Park, New York
Allegheny State Park contains the most intact and widespread distribution of wild brook trout streams in western New York. Brook trout growth and abundance in McIntosh Creek are limited by a lack of large woody debris and deep water pools during summer low flow conditions. This project will add large woody debris to enhance habitat structure and deep water pools to increase wild brook trout growth and abundance, and improve the recreational fishery. Pre- and post-enhancement monitoring will be conducted and used to demonstrate this simple and low cost approach to improve brook trout habitat.
South Fork Little Conemaugh River Brook Trout Renewal, Pennsylvania
Deep mining activities along the stream have resulted in chronic AMD into the stream. AMD along with acid deposition have depressed the brook trout and aquatic life in this 4 mile stretch due to low pH, high aluminum, and low alkalinity. The objective of this project is to mitigate the sources of the AMD with limestone beds and mitigate the acid deposition with limestone sand dosing. Restoring the pH and alkalinity regime will allow for a renewed brook trout population and overall aquatic life restoration along 4 miles of stream.
Deep Brook Restoration and Monitoring Program, Connecticut
Deep Brook is a Class 1 Wild Trout Management Area, rare in Connecticut. It had been neglected and developed problems, including a declining population of native brook trout. For three years, TU and its broad partnership have worked to restore the in-stream, riparian and buffer habitat. Funding from this project will be used to implement a comprehensive water monitoring system, a critical component of the multi-year restoration effort in Deep Brook.
Catawissa Creek AMD Restoration, Pennsylvania
An historic mine water discharge tunnel draining a deep mine is contributing 80 percent of the pollution load of acid and aluminum impairing Catawissa Creek. The objective of this project is to complete a limestone mitigation project that will treat the source of AMD and restore the pH regime of the stream. The project will enable the return of extirpated brook trout to 36 miles of the main stem of the Catawissa Creek. It will also reconnect the entire watershed including more than two dozen tributaries, many of which are not impaired and have healthy brook trout populations.
Smethport Reservoir Dam Removal and Habitat Restoration, Pennsylvania
This project seeks to remove the Smethport Reservoir Dam to restore passage and free flowing stream habitat for brook trout on Blacksmith Run and eliminate a significant liability and safety concern and reduce localized flooding. Approximately 1.9 miles of stream will be reopened to fish passage, 770 linear feet of in-stream habitat restored, and 1540 feet of riparian habitat restored. Additional benefits anticipated from the project include improvements in water quality, enhanced transport of nutrients and woody debris, and re-established connectivity between the stream, riparian area and groundwater interface.
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