PFBC Old Website Data and Information

[DaveKile]

I have been looking for many of the old documents the PFBC would make accessible on the website and now completely are gone. I used to be able to access information like annual license sales and electroshocking reports over the years. Does anyone have any suggestions and don't tell me to Google it! This is the third different version of the PFBC website in the last ~7 years and this new one really sucks.

I will likely go to the PFBC directly, but just wanted to see if anyone else might know something I maybe missing at getting to some of this more obscure information that only a nerd like me would want to investigate.

 

[wildtrout2]

I used to really enjoy reading the electroshocking reports.

 

[Cznymph]

Try using the way back machine.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Definitely recommend voicing your displeasure or concerns to PFBC and for that matter other State Agencies that recently went through website "upgrades". While you are at it, you should also express displeasure with the Governors office for OA making every state agency website worse.

If you look around you will find that most, aoon to be every state agency website has the same format.

 

[Mikey2006]

I’m not sure if I’m just going crazy, but I remember a few years ago being able to see whether a natural repro. stream was class a, b, c, or d. I’m not sure if that’s what “electrofishing reports” refers to but either way, I specifically remember finding a pdf for my county that had all that info on it. Now I can’t

 

[Broodstock]

I also agree that the data has been much harder to find, lots of the biologists reports are gone, links are broken, and in general it’s much harder to use. Even the newer gis mapping tool is more buggy with layers not being available at times. If the way back machine archived pages that might work but if the reports were moved, any links on those pages would not be able to access the files.

 

[jifigz]

Definitely recommend voicing your displeasure or concerns to PFBC and for that matter other State Agencies that recently went through website "upgrades". While you are at it, you should also express displeasure with the Governors office for OA making every state agency website worse.

If you look around you will find that most, aoon to be every state agency website has the same format.

The new government website designs are AWFUL.

 

[lars]

i used to be able to generate a list of river/stream gages by watershed on the USGS site. they've changed that and my old list of gages that i've used for years is gone.

 

[Bamboozle]

i used to be able to generate a list of river/stream gages by watershed on the USGS site. they've changed that and my old list of gages that i've used for years is gone.

Below is where you can create lists for USDA gauges by state. Use the "Select a state from the map to access real-time data" on the right side of the page to drill down by state. I'm not sure of there are other filtering parameters:

USGS Current Water Data for the Nation

I have been looking for many of the old documents the PFBC would make accessible on the website and now completely are gone. I used to be able to access information like annual license sales and electroshocking reports over the years. Does anyone have any suggestions and don't tell me to Google it! This is the third different version of the PFBC website in the last ~7 years and this new one really sucks...

Dave:

I know if this isn't what you are after, but here are the most recent biologist reports:

Biologist Reports

<p>Biologist Reports derive from surveys Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission biologists complete on various waterways throughout the state each year. These reports are grouped by Fisheries Management Area in the map shown below.<br> </p>

www.pa.gov

And license sales from 1919 to present:

https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/fishandboat/documents/fishing/buy-license/license-sales-1919.xlsx

In regards to "Googling it!" If it is any consolation, ever since AI has become mainstream and an AI generated response pops up at the top of every Google search, I've found it MUCH easier and faster to find things by Googling it or at minimum to get a lead for a new search than even a year ago.

IMHO - This is no excuse for the buggered up websites, but I'd rather find stuff this way versus wasting time clicking all over some clunky government webpage.

YMMV

 

[falcon]

The new USGS site is terrible.

 

[HopBack]

I’m not sure if I’m just going crazy, but I remember a few years ago being able to see whether a natural repro. stream was class a, b, c, or d. I’m not sure if that’s what “electrofishing reports” refers to but either way, I specifically remember finding a pdf for my county that had all that info on it. Now I can’t

Classifications on the natural reproduction report were never available. The only classification that is available is Class A which includes trout species.

You would have to request the information directly from the PFBC if you were interested in the biomasses on streams that are not listed as class A but in the natural reproduction list.

 

[jifigz]

Classifications on the natural reproduction report were never available. The only classification that is available is Class A which includes trout species.

You would have to request the information directly from the PFBC if you were interested in the biomasses on streams that are not listed as class A but in the natural reproduction list.

I agree. That information was never available.

 

[wildtrout2]

The new USGS site is terrible.

You have the option to click the Legacy real-time page on the upper left to get the older version.

 

[lars]

You have the option to click the Legacy real-time page on the upper left to get the older version.

i can do that on the individual gages, but that option doesn't seem to be available with my old list of gages sorted by watersheds. can't find a way to recreate such a list with the new site.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I’m not sure if I’m just going crazy, but I remember a few years ago being able to see whether a natural repro. stream was class a, b, c, or d. I’m not sure if that’s what “electrofishing reports” refers to but either way, I specifically remember finding a pdf for my county that had all that info on it. Now I can’t

There was a website called wildtroutstreams.com that did this. I am not sure where they got their information or how accurate it was, but I used to use it often. Last few times I have tried the map was borked. Haven't checked in a few years but I don't think its been maintained. Definitely not working on my phone now but maybe on a computer it will.

 

[falcon]

Where is the list by drainage in a State. It may be avail or can be generated but it is not straightforward. I know the view legacy option. Many of the guages are not working (not ice). Temp monitoring has been discontinued for many sites for example on the E Br Delaware. Other guage in Monroe County is stuck on 9ft for months so it now is considered offline. USGS is looking for private donations.

 

[DomR]

Definitely recommend voicing your displeasure or concerns to PFBC and for that matter other State Agencies that recently went through website "upgrades". While you are at it, you should also express displeasure with the Governors office for OA making every state agency website worse.

If you look around you will find that most, aoon to be every state agency website has the same format.

They likely are using a common platform so that they can outsource (offshore) it easier. Tech's only have to know how to troubleshoot a singular package instead of multiple ones. It probably contains a good amount of AI as well limiting the human intervention to only when "there's an issue".

 

[5footfenwick]

I agree. That information was never available.

For natural reproduction I agree, I don’t remember it either.

However until recently that information was available on their site for all wilderness trout streams. Not only did it have the break down class a , b, c, d etc. but it also had the exact density’s of trout listed and separated by species. But that’s gone now too.

The Czech hackers that kept taking the fish commission site down really ruined it. At one point fish commission lost control of their site for several months. If the hackers never came along, perhaps we would still have the old site with all the old info and data. I think the newer pfbc sites are attempts at getting away from the hackers. Not so much attempts at building a better site for us.

 

[Schaefer406]

It looks like older reports can be found by going to: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat/fishing/where-to-fish/biologist-reports.html and clicking on the box for the interactive map. In the interactive map, the older reports can be viewed by clicking on the marker and then "Biologist Report Listing"

 

[Broodstock]

at the top of the area pages for biologist reports it now states:
"Additional reports available upon request."

I suppose with enough prodding I could ask for all of the historic ones.