Aquetong Creek Status

[KeviR]

I was the one who submitted the request to PFBC for permission to move 50 ST from Lehigh tribs to Aquetong. And led the actual gathering and re-introduction crew in 2017. (The team was mostly BCTU members.) The two tribs that the fish came from were on the west side of the Lehigh about 4 miles above Glen Onoko. Just above where Bear Creek comes in from the east. They were cut off from the river long ago by railroad infrastructure. They seem to have pretty good water quality, but I'm sure they are higher pH than Aquetong. The fish seemed to take to the new water OK. The population has been surveyed every year since 2018. The population seemed to be increasing until the 2022 survey, which showed a marked drop. In 21, the survey found like 48 fish. The 2022 survey found 17. The local firm that Solebury used to do the stream improvements (Princeton Hydro) also did an electrofishing survey in 2022 and found almost exactly the same number of fish. (So I doubt it was a fluke measurement variation.) We in BCTU and Solebury are very puzzled and concerned about this change. It was all looking good and on an upward trajectory.
As to the fact that the re-introduction was done before the stream improvements, let me explain. It was not ideal, for sure. At that point in 2017, the stream improvements had not even been proposed yet. And some folks in the township were talking about introducing browns and rainbows into the stream. We in BCTU were absolutely panicked about this. We thought that if we could get St reintroduced and create enough publicity about how important and unique the creek is, perhaps that would move public opinion to oppose this. It seems to have worked. There is a recognition among the EAC and the conservation-minded folks in the township that the stream deserves to be protected and improved in as close to a natural (historical) state as possible.
We have been looking at this and thinking about it a lot lately. It seems that brook trout do not populate the lower parts of the creek much if at all. (Based on the stream surveys.) Below about the area where where the old dam was removed, the brook trout don't seem to venture. That area of stream looks like good habitat and the water quality measures don't change from the upstream areas. But the trout just don't seem to go there. We are actively working to find out why, but in the meantime, the portion of the stream that the fish occupy is only a few hundred feet , maybe 500. So it's a tiny habitat.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear KeviR,

I grew up in Bucks County a long time ago. I fished the Delaware River a lot but often wondered if Aquetong Creek held trout back then? It looked like it had potential except for the dam.

Has there been any explanation for drop in the survey results? The years kind of run together to me anymore, but wetter, snowier years might have made for early success and drier warmer years might have reversed that? I'm no biologist so I'm just guessing. Are there other fish species present in the lower sections that are restricting the movement and growth of the ST population?

I'm grateful that you and others are trying this, and I wish you well.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[silverfox]

I was the one who submitted the request to PFBC for permission to move 50 ST from Lehigh tribs to Aquetong. And led the actual gathering and re-introduction crew in 2017. (The team was mostly BCTU members.) The two tribs that the fish came from were on the west side of the Lehigh about 4 miles above Glen Onoko. Just above where Bear Creek comes in from the east. They were cut off from the river long ago by railroad infrastructure. They seem to have pretty good water quality, but I'm sure they are higher pH than Aquetong. The fish seemed to take to the new water OK. The population has been surveyed every year since 2018. The population seemed to be increasing until the 2022 survey, which showed a marked drop. In 21, the survey found like 48 fish. The 2022 survey found 17. The local firm that Solebury used to do the stream improvements (Princeton Hydro) also did an electrofishing survey in 2022 and found almost exactly the same number of fish. (So I doubt it was a fluke measurement variation.) We in BCTU and Solebury are very puzzled and concerned about this change. It was all looking good and on an upward trajectory.
As to the fact that the re-introduction was done before the stream improvements, let me explain. It was not ideal, for sure. At that point in 2017, the stream improvements had not even been proposed yet. And some folks in the township were talking about introducing browns and rainbows into the stream. We in BCTU were absolutely panicked about this. We thought that if we could get St reintroduced and create enough publicity about how important and unique the creek is, perhaps that would move public opinion to oppose this. It seems to have worked. There is a recognition among the EAC and the conservation-minded folks in the township that the stream deserves to be protected and improved in as close to a natural (historical) state as possible.
We have been looking at this and thinking about it a lot lately. It seems that brook trout do not populate the lower parts of the creek much if at all. (Based on the stream surveys.) Below about the area where where the old dam was removed, the brook trout don't seem to venture. That area of stream looks like good habitat and the water quality measures don't change from the upstream areas. But the trout just don't seem to go there. We are actively working to find out why, but in the meantime, the portion of the stream that the fish occupy is only a few hundred feet , maybe 500. So it's a tiny habitat.

Out of curiosity, what were the "stream improvements" that were implemented, and when were they done?

 

[lycoflyfisher]

I believe he may be referencing a dam removal and then subsequent habitat structures installed after the stream channel was allowed to establish over a few years.

 

[KeviR]

The dam removal was in 2015. Before the dam removal, the stream was not suitable for trout - the stream below the dam would warm to >75 degrees in July and August.
The stream improvements were a series of log structures - cross logs that create a pool/small waterfall, and side logs to provide overhangs and bank stabilization. These were done after the introduction, I think in 2019 or 2020.
Tim - there actually were trout in the pool at the spring source up to the early 2000's At some point, they were gone - not sure if it was a predator or human predator that took them out. These were rainbows and nobody I talked to knew how they got there or how/why they disappeared. They could have actually just died of old age at some point - I doubt they could spawn in the pool at the spring source. I've heard that limestone spring water right at the source is too high in nitrogen and/or too low in oxygen for successful recruitment. So I assume somebody dumped them in there at some point. Kinda scary how easy and common this is. Could short circuit all the work we've done for 20+ years.

 

[KeviR]

Dear KeviR,

I grew up in Bucks County a long time ago. I fished the Delaware River a lot but often wondered if Aquetong Creek held trout back then? It looked like it had potential except for the dam.

Has there been any explanation for drop in the survey results? The years kind of run together to me anymore, but wetter, snowier years might have made for early success and drier warmer years might have reversed that? I'm no biologist so I'm just guessing. Are there other fish species present in the lower sections that are restricting the movement and growth of the ST population?

I'm grateful that you and others are trying this, and I wish you well.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

I wish I could answer your question - it's my question too. Local PFBC fisheries biologist doesn't know why the fish counts dropped last year. But I mentioned the size of the stream section to point out that this is a tiny bit of habitat. It's a great spring source - very steady volume and temperature. So flow variation can't be the problem. But with any tiny population and tiny habitat is that there's not much resilience in the system. Small factors that would kill fish in a short run of a larger stream could completely eliminate this entire population. (A poacher, a pair of otters, somebody dumping out some unused lawn chemicals in their back yard, etc, etc.) The park this is in has a fair amount of usage, and nobody has reported any obvious fish kills that I know of. So it's a mystery to us.
There are no other trout in the creek. There are largemouth bass in the lower reaches of the creek and in tributaries, so they could conceivably venture up into the area where the ST are. The electrofish surveys have not found any bass in the area where the ST are, but I guess they could move in to feed and move out to habitat they prefer downstream. To, me it doesn't seem likely it would suddenly happen after several years of steady or increasing population. But I'm just guessing.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Not trying to hijack this thread and I am staying within Bucks County. I can remember in the late 80s and early 90s catching brook trout in Cooks Creek. Things were quite good for several years with the brookies (including some up to 12") before the population seemed to shift to almost 100% BT based on my catches. Do you know whether the brook trout in Cooks watershed have been extirpated, and if so, are there efforts to try and bring them back?

 

[silverfox]

The dam removal was in 2015. Before the dam removal, the stream was not suitable for trout - the stream below the dam would warm to >75 degrees in July and August.
The stream improvements were a series of log structures - cross logs that create a pool/small waterfall, and side logs to provide overhangs and bank stabilization. These were done after the introduction, I think in 2019 or 2020.
Tim - there actually were trout in the pool at the spring source up to the early 2000's At some point, they were gone - not sure if it was a predator or human predator that took them out. These were rainbows and nobody I talked to knew how they got there or how/why they disappeared. They could have actually just died of old age at some point - I doubt they could spawn in the pool at the spring source. I've heard that limestone spring water right at the source is too high in nitrogen and/or too low in oxygen for successful recruitment. So I assume somebody dumped them in there at some point. Kinda scary how easy and common this is. Could short circuit all the work we've done for 20+ years.

I mentioned the habitat improvements (https://www.soleburytwp.org/sites/g...s/aquetong_final_planning_report_dec_2017.pdf) since I suspected (based on what you said) that they happened sometime after the ST reintroduction effort as a possible cause since that's the only significant thing that seems to have occurred in the stream after reintroduction.

Kinda scary how easy and common this is. Could short circuit all the work we've done for 20+ years.

Tell me about it. That's why it's incredibly important that folks support the stocking authorization (notice of stocking). If you haven't already, send an email to RA-pfbcregulations@pa.gov and tell them, you support the notice of stocking proposal (Notice: 48A-325).

 

[Bamboozle]

Forgive me if this is already the situation at Aquetong Creek but this particular "project" should be a "NO FISHING PERMITTED" stretch/stream for a while.

I say that because my suspicions are all of the publicity, especially in heavily populated SEPA has attracted the wrong kind of attention resulting in the lower fish numbers...

 

[Mike]

If there was little reproductive success from fall, 2021 spawning, that would certainly affect the 2022 survey numbers. Furthermore, when I applied the 65% average total annual mortality rate for limestone trout populations (age 1 trout and older) in Pa to the 48 trout figure from the 2021 survey the result was 17 trout remaining, the same number that the 2022 survey found based on what is being reported by KeviR. Imagine that😊

 

[Bamboozle]

Not trying to hijack this thread and I am staying within Bucks County. I can remember in the late 80s and early 90s catching brook trout in Cooks Creek. Things were quite good for several years with the brookies (including some up to 12") before the population seemed to shift to almost 100% BT based on my catches. Do you know whether the brook trout in Cooks watershed have been extirpated, and if so, are there efforts to try and bring them back?

Not trying to aid & abet your hijacking but I assume you are talking about the Class A sections of Cooks?

Cooks has been listed as Class A or "Wild Trout - No Stocking" since the inception of Operation Future in 1983 and the limits haven't changed much. However, I never caught anything but BT going back to the same era and more recently.

I'm not doubting yu recollections but the fact that Springtown Rod & Gun Club is right there would make me suspicions of the origin of those brook trout...

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Not trying to aid & abet your hijacking but I assume you are talking about the Class A sections of Cooks?

Cooks has been listed as Class A or "Wild Trout - No Stocking" since the inception of Operation Future in 1983 and the limits haven't changed much. However, I never caught anything but BT going back to the same era and more recently.

I'm not doubting yu recollections but the fact that Springtown Rod & Gun Club is right there would make me suspicions of the origin of those brook trout...

I'm honestly not 100% sure if they were stocked or wild though I will say they were some of the cleanest/prettiest brook trout I've ever caught if they were stocked. I always thought the brookies that I caught originated from Hollow Run upstream of Durham where I fished.

 

[Mike]

ST in Durham were most likely from Hollow Run. It is now a BT stream at the traditional sampling site located about 0.5 mi upstream from Rt 212. Can’t say if that is true throughout. It was the siltiest ST stream that I ever sampled and loss of the ST population was predictable. Segloch has sand, but this stream had silt that was about an inch deep in most of the sampling site. I was surprised to find ST in that environment, but apparently their future was limited.

 

[wcosner2]

If my memory serves me right, the TU chapter or Princeton Hydro (the company that did the restoration work at Aquetong Creek) actually looked into using brook trout from the Cooks Creek watershed, specifically Hollow Run, but when they went to survey it, they did not find a single ST. I think there is a report out there somewhere that details this.

 

[KeviR]

^ You are correct. The creek is Coon Hollow Run. When last surveyed by PFBC is the early 90's it had a ST population and no BT found. Apparently there is a small mill race/spillway at the mouth that we (BCTU) assumed was the reason that BT didn't move in there. We did an informal seine netting of Coon Hollow in preparation for the Aquetong re-population. (Summer of 2016, I think.) And found only BT and sunfish, and not very many of those. We heard of a landowner on the creek that stocks his section with browns.
To re-establish a population in Aquetong, we wanted to find the closest possible match to the conditions and geography of Aquetong in the Delaware watershed and this seemed the best option.

 

[KeviR]

Forgive me if this is already the situation at Aquetong Creek but this particular "project" should be a "NO FISHING PERMITTED" stretch/stream for a while.

I say that because my suspicions are all of the publicity, especially in heavily populated SEPA has attracted the wrong kind of attention resulting in the lower fish numbers...

Solebury currently does not permit fishing in the park. A poacher is certainly one possible explanation.

 

[KeviR]

Not trying to hijack this thread and I am staying within Bucks County. I can remember in the late 80s and early 90s catching brook trout in Cooks Creek. Things were quite good for several years with the brookies (including some up to 12") before the population seemed to shift to almost 100% BT based on my catches. Do you know whether the brook trout in Cooks watershed have been extirpated, and if so, are there efforts to try and bring them back?

I'm not sure what a TU chapter could do to bring back brook trout to Cooks. But I shared your observation - I caught a few nice brook trout many years ago. In honesty, I have hardly fished it since then, so I can't say what the situation is now.

 

[KeviR]

If there was little reproductive success from fall, 2021 spawning, that would certainly affect the 2022 survey numbers. Furthermore, when I applied the 65% average total annual mortality rate for limestone trout populations (age 1 trout and older) in Pa to the 48 trout figure from the 2021 survey the result was 17 trout remaining, the same number that the 2022 survey found based on what is being reported by KeviR. Imagine that😊

Mike - thanks for that observation. We thought that "normal" variations in the population could be one explanation. That's why I pointed out the fact that the section of stream is so small - one factor that might have minimal effect on a bigger system, could be amplified dramatically in such a small system. Though complete loss of a class year seems unlikely to us, with the super steady conditions of a spring creek. But again, maybe when the 5 females who were trying to spawn were on the redds, a heron happened to be there and picked them off. That's the problem with such a small system.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

I was the one who submitted the request to PFBC for permission to move 50 ST from Lehigh tribs to Aquetong. And led the actual gathering and re-introduction crew in 2017. (The team was mostly BCTU members.) The two tribs that the fish came from were on the west side of the Lehigh about 4 miles above Glen Onoko. Just above where Bear Creek comes in from the east. They were cut off from the river long ago by railroad infrastructure. They seem to have pretty good water quality, but I'm sure they are higher pH than Aquetong. The fish seemed to take to the new water OK. The population has been surveyed every year since 2018. The population seemed to be increasing until the 2022 survey, which showed a marked drop. In 21, the survey found like 48 fish. The 2022 survey found 17. The local firm that Solebury used to do the stream improvements (Princeton Hydro) also did an electrofishing survey in 2022 and found almost exactly the same number of fish. (So I doubt it was a fluke measurement variation.) We in BCTU and Solebury are very puzzled and concerned about this change. It was all looking good and on an upward trajectory.
As to the fact that the re-introduction was done before the stream improvements, let me explain. It was not ideal, for sure. At that point in 2017, the stream improvements had not even been proposed yet. And some folks in the township were talking about introducing browns and rainbows into the stream. We in BCTU were absolutely panicked about this. We thought that if we could get St reintroduced and create enough publicity about how important and unique the creek is, perhaps that would move public opinion to oppose this. It seems to have worked. There is a recognition among the EAC and the conservation-minded folks in the township that the stream deserves to be protected and improved in as close to a natural (historical) state as possible.
We have been looking at this and thinking about it a lot lately. It seems that brook trout do not populate the lower parts of the creek much if at all. (Based on the stream surveys.) Below about the area where where the old dam was removed, the brook trout don't seem to venture. That area of stream looks like good habitat and the water quality measures don't change from the upstream areas. But the trout just don't seem to go there. We are actively working to find out why, but in the meantime, the portion of the stream that the fish occupy is only a few hundred feet , maybe 500. So it's a tiny habitat.

That is a shame.
I was pretty excited upon learning about this.

I wouldn't give up just yet though.

Yes you need to figure out why the trout aren't spreading out, there is probably a reason.
Also I would focus on spawning habitat/substrates in the watershed, make sure there is plenty.

then I would try your experiment again.
Maybe even consider vibert boxes.

I really wish you luck and I also commend you guys on the foresight to reestablish wild brook trout to a watershed over the others and changing mindsets in the conservation arena around this watershed. Really great work!

Don't give up yet!

 

[Mikeyfresh$29]

I live walking distance from the spring and have recently witnessed heron feeding stream side more than once.
I have also come across quite a few people with fishing gear at the park.
I have fished the entire creek from spring to the Delaware many times over the last 25 years and caught brook trout above the dam, below the dam , and even in the lake before dam removed .
I have caught native brook trout a mile below the spring as recent as last year .
So hoping time and all the efforts will help bring back the population.