Lower Susquehanna Bass Fishing

[afishinado]

No doubt brown trout should be considered invasive. They displaced many/most of the native brook trout population in the eastern U.S..
The genie was out of the bottle long ago since intentional stocking was started back in the late 1800's.

But i don't see how that relates to snakeheads. They certainly are an invasive species, and turning a blind eye to their spread is just plain wrong just because some guys like to fish for them. A mistake made more than 100 years ago does not make things okay to approve of another invasive species introduction now.

We all should do what we can to reduce the spread of snakeheads. Those lunkheads that stock them in more and more lakes and rivers are totally wrong. When people take things in their own hands and believe they can pick and choose which rules and laws to follow, we are all in big trouble.

 

[Fredrick]

Snakeheads have yet to be proven to cause harm when someone says they may or could cause harm doesn’t mean they are . Brown trout were mainly brought up because you can’t back your invasive species of choice and you can’t say the damage is done already I’m sure there are brook trout being out competed and pushed out in streams as I write this . Snakeheads are not going anywhere as well as brown trout you can’t catch and release a BT then not be a hypocrite when you complain about snakeheads. And if someone doesn’t do something to help the lower susky you will have a snakehead catfish and carp fishery since they are more tolerant to humans disturbances then smallmouth.

 

[Fredrick]

Now let’s get this thread back on track
https://www.witf.org/2020/08/17/sampling-confirms-harrisburgs-sewage-overflow-is-polluting-the-susquehanna-river-with-e-coli/

 

[coyoterahn]

Sadly, the plans proposed by Harrisburg’s Capital Region Water Corp in 2019 only call for a 60% reduction of sewage discharge into the river. And get this, the 60% discharge reduction is over the next 20 years! Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Yes sorry to derail. I just saw someone say something about why brown trout are not invasive and it made me wonder how.

As far as the the river and Harrisburg,
How do you propose to fix it and where are the funds coming from are the real questions.

I keep hear Maryland calling for PA to clean up.
Are they prepared to put their tax monies into our sewage facilities also? Probably not :lol:

 

[coyoterahn]

I wish I had an answer Sal but I’m far from an expert on sewer management in the Harrisburg region. My point, which I may have failed to make is simply this. In this day and age, it is a crying shame we dump raw sewage (and other chemicals) into such a great resource. Considering how great this country is when it comes to design, development and industrial innovation, 20+ more years of raw sewage flowing into the Susquehanna River sucks. It is yet another example of dis function in our government at the local, state and federal level. What i do know is there are better solutions to the problem than the crappy one that has been proposed.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Well said.

I certainly dont know the answer either.
Just food for thought:

In December 2019, Congressional leaders finalized a budget deal for fiscal year 2020 reversing the Trump administration's proposed cuts and boosting funding for EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program from $73 million in 2019 to $85 million this year.
Also CBF's top executives earn about $1.4 million a year combined, with each enjoying salaries of more than $130,000.

That is just one organization getting monies to save the bay.

If only we knew how to get money to build new or improve facilities in Harrisburg. *sarcasm*
Might not get all the programs you are accustom to for awhile but in just a few years (5)?both the bay and river would be cleaner

 

[sarce]

I haven't seen the proposal referenced above for 60% reduction in raw sewage overflow but I'm guessing it involves creating separate storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure? if it has been linked to in this thread I would appreciate if someone can let me know what post it was in, would like to read it.

If we are talking overhauling infrastructure that stuff takes years to plan, years to construct, and an enormous amount of money to make it happen at all. 20 years sounds about right if they started the process yesterday.

 

[sarce]

Sal I am confused by your post 108. I think you are saying Harrisburg needs to tap the CBP funds but I am not sure what the salaries of CBF executives has to do with anything. Not attacking you just asking for clarification.

 

[coyoterahn]

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/09/plan-to-reduce-raw-sewage-in-susquehanna-river-not-good-enough-harrisburg-mayor.html

Sarce, here is the link.

 

[GeneBeam]

Here is is

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/09/plan-to-reduce-raw-sewage-in-susquehanna-river-not-good-enough-harrisburg-mayor.html

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Not really anything i suppose. It came with the copy paste.

What i am questioning is if that money is better spent up river or at the bay. The CBF is just one of many groups getting monies to restore the Bay, perhaps using some of those monies to clean up the pollution at Harrisburg would be better spent?

I dont know. Just a thought

 

[coyoterahn]

sarce wrote:
I haven't seen the proposal referenced above for 60% reduction in raw sewage overflow but I'm guessing it involves creating separate storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure? if it has been linked to in this thread I would appreciate if someone can let me know what post it was in, would like to read it.

If we are talking overhauling infrastructure that stuff takes years to plan, years to construct, and an enormous amount of money to make it happen at all. 20 years sounds about right if they started the process yesterday.

Sarce, I get your point and understand what you are saying.
My point is 20 years dumping RAW sewage is too long. A 60% reduction in RAW sewage is too little. 20 years may sound about right if the improvement project gets the same level of urgency it has these past 20 years. We need to be better than that. We need innovative solutions with a sense of urgency. But, it’s the same story, different day approach. Government dysfunction over and over again. I’ll rest my case.

 

[larkmark]

When you see pollution happening who is the state agency you should call? I seem to remember being told to call the PAFBC?

"If you see anything suspected to be a pollution or disturbance of any waterway, regardless of how seemingly insignificant, report it immediately by calling the local Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission regional law enforcement office (business hours) or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection at 1-800-541-2050 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)."


The silence from that group on this issue is hard to believe.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

Another invasive: Jumping Earthworms!

Like murder hornets (that may be sensationaized), the name sounds kinda crazy.

Oh, and don't use them for bait....except maybe for Jumping Asian Carp.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

A Squirmy Wormy is better than a Greenie Weenie.
Change my mind.

 

[Mike]

Some light reading that shows how dealing with combined sewage and stormwater discharges is a complex process with many considerations and steps.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/owm0111.pdf

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
Some light reading that shows how dealing with combined sewage and stormwater discharges is a complex process with many considerations and steps.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/owm0111.pdf

Understood, but it's been many decades, not years since the system has been recognized to be overtaxed and antiquated.

The amount and frequency of raw sewage being discharged into the River is what one expect to see in the Third World country and not our State Capital.

 

[Mike]

I urge those here to enter “combined stormwater and sewage discharges in Pennsylvania,” then scroll through the article titles and glance at some lines in some articles. Readers will find out that their occurrence is not unusual and learn how very long (decades in some cases) it can take to correct problems once the process is started. The articles in total are a good reality check.

 

[barrybarry]

Thanks for all the information. I thought people had come to their senses in the 70's. Then it became popular to promote industries/profits/costs instead of promoting clean water.

The fish I've been catching from the lower river (Long Level —Bainbridge) were pretty clean during most of the summer this year. Now since the middle of the August and into September I've been seeing more sores and parasites. June/July, I expected to see clean fish. That's no longer the case. (Panfish/Smallies/Shad)