Brandywine Creek Basin, Chester Co. - wild trout

[Mike]

Thanks to contributions from Joe Armstrong, sarce (a message board participant), input from a Brandywine Conservancy employee who also fishes, and our experience in picking out likely wild trout streams from topographic maps, the unassessed wild trout streams identification project in Fisheries Management Area 6 has been on doing well in the Brandywine Creek drainage basin. Ten out of eleven streams surveyed so far have supported wild trout populations and, surprisingly, seven of those have been wild brook trout populations. Per protocol, these streams will eventually be submitted to the Board of Commissioners (PFBC) for approval and listing. If approved, then at the very least wetlands in these streams' drainage basins will be classified as being Exceptional Value and, additionally, if any of the streams are improperly classified, such as Warmwater (WW) or Trout Stocked Fishes (TSF) in DEP's Chapter 93, they will eventually be upgraded to Coldwater Fishes (CWF).

 

[Foxgap239]

Mike, great news. Without mentioning stream names, did any of them assess at Class A or close to class A?

Thanks.

 

[Brownie101]

Very interesting, I've probably fished some of the streams..

 

[Mike]

No A's, at least in the stretches that were electrofished, which are often near the mouths due to unassessed waters protocols.

 

[Foxgap239]

Thanks Mike.

 

[sarce]

Mike,
10 out of 11 is awesome! Do you guys still have more left to survey in the area?

If I remember correctly, you already had these streams on your radar when I first mentioned them to you a few years ago. I can't tell you how much it means to me to see these streams (about to) get the protection they deserve. Many thanks!

 

[sarce]

Mike wrote:
No A's, at least in the stretches that were electrofished, which are often near the mouths due to unassessed waters protocols.

I'm certainly no expert in judging what class rating streams are, but I doubt you missed any A's by surveying near the mouths. Then again, you did find some streams I am not familiar with.

 

[BrookieChaser]

That's great news.

Mike, I understand assessing the waters, I have a buddy doing just that. What are the parameters for classification and what does the population have to meet to be considered sustainable? I had a question into the PFBC but it went unanswered.

Also what are the requirements that allow a stream to be stocked?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike]

Typical site lengths for this project are 100 meters, although they are sometimes extended for logistical purposes or when the crew nearly has captured enough qualifying trout, but not quite. Minimum requirement is 3 fingerlings or 3 wild trout with at least two year classes represented within the three fish collected. Clearly, just because a stream qualifies as a stream that supports trout reproduction (a wild trout stream), it may not necessarily be suitable to provide a fishery.

Trout stocking requirements are more complex and invariably would lead to more follow-up questions, so I recommend that you review the Strategic Plan for Management of Trout Fisheries in Pennsylvania on the PFBC web site.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Thanks for the info Mike!

I'll check out the Strategic Management Plan.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Just as a follow up. Mike, I finished reading the plan.

As an avid native and wild trout fisher (the 1% in said management report), I was really pleased to see the effort going into studying the effects of stocking on Class B waters.

This report answered a lot of my questions I had sent to your agency earlier in the year.