Transporting live brook trout??

[glamcaster]

Hi all,

I was looking for some consult. A stream near my house--which held brook trout until ~2008--looks ripe for reintroduction (to me). After years of restoration and upcoming ground water trenches, I feel it will finally be brook-able 365 days a year. Some of you definitely know the stream in question..

*The plan was to gradually introduce 1-3 of these gems a few times, from a different ChesCo Stream to this one. They're on opposite sides of the county, probably a 55 minute journey with a pedal to the metal. (I can't quite figure out the situation with closer Brandywine BT tribs. If anyone would be willing to share some knowledge, I would be grateful 🙂

The current toolkit for this mission would be a 15 gal cooler, dual hose cordless aerator, a thermometer, and one of those beach wagons (treaded wheels). Does anyone have recommendations on how to keep small brookies healthy & happy for 1-2 hours? Do I sound fully manic?

I would welcome any advice or feedback whatsoever. This is a bit ambitious, but I've had this urge for a decade now. I think risking a few fish lives (high pop. origin stream) is worth this chance at habitat expansion for our precious char.

Best,

Glamcaster

 

[Mike]

If the stream in question is the stream locally known as Crabby Ck, which has had a failed intro in the past, what has changed regarding the substrate and the tremendous forces associated with stormwater runoff?

 

[glamcaster]

Hey Mike,

I wish I had a topographic map of the stream, annotated with a million and one gleaming things to say. I don't. I will say that the creek looks pretty different from my memory of it 10 years ago.

A 2009 project (mostly a flop) did change the Gradient and stream bed in certain spots. This project also secured some risky sewage lines. I remember the park was closed for a while for buffer vegetation to be planted.

https://www.dailylocal.com/news/coronavirus/chester-county-gets-1-9-million-to-improve-waterways/article_cd52e236-4b61-11eb-b6f7-f335f62a3aa1.html

This is the most positive change in the watershed I've seen, and should reduce at least some runoff. The project cites 2 neighborhood trenches so far, thanks Melissa Shusterman. In one of those ravine watersheds that withstood development of the 50's-60's (like Crabby) I imagine this would reduce torrential summer flows.

Regardless, brown trout subsist in the lower reaches. There are about 3 smaller tribs in the park I scouted which contain at least a few proper holding pools. I imagine these haven't been thoroughly stocked, if ever. As a lifetime resident, I've seen the creek become fortified to an extent. Would be curious if anyone could weigh in

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the additional information and the article, which I found interesting not only with respect to the Crabby basin, but in the other cases as well. If the water in Crabby still stays cold, as I suspect it does given that the brown trout we found down below in the early 1980’s are still there, and if the substrate is now much more suitable for brook trout reproduction (preferably gravel, but a sand and gravel combination work as well at times; even pure sand, though not preferred, works in some instances, but to a lesser degree), the stream may support reproduction and it is worth a try. Cool to cold water temperature, substrate, habitat for mature fish, and some cover for fish of all sizes are some key features that will help your effort succeed.

Even in woodland cases where there are steep gradients, I have seen hurricane-related extreme stormwater runoff in small streams cut channels, blow rocky substrate out on to the forest floor, bury parts of previous channels in beneath rock piles, shred the banks exposing a jungle of tree roots, and pile tree trunks and branches three to four feet high in and along the streams. In one specific case, Birch Ck in Berks Co, the wild brook trout population was nearly decimated in that few remained (perhaps three to four for every 100 m), yet the population bounced back within about four years. It is not an extremely high density population, but it did recover to some degree. The point is that a recovery, as you hope, is not impossible if basic needs for the fish are met.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the additional information and the article, which I found interesting not only with respect to the Crabby basin, but in the other cases as well. If the water in Crabby still stays cold, as I suspect it does given that the brown trout we found down below in the early 1980’s are still there, and if the substrate is now much more suitable for brook trout reproduction (preferably gravel, but a sand and gravel combination work as well at times), the stream may support reproduction and it is worth a try. Cool to cold water temperature, substrate, habitat for mature fish, and some cover for fish of all sizes are some key features that will help your effort succeed.

Even in woodland cases where there are steep gradients, I have seen hurricane-related extreme stormwater runoff in small streams cut channels, blow rocky substrate out on to the forest floor, bury parts of previous channels in beneath rock piles, shred the banks exposing a jungle of tree roots, and pile tree trunks and branches three to four feet high in and along the streams. In one specific case, Birch Ck in Berks Co, the wild brook trout population was nearly decimated in that few remained (perhaps three to four for every 100 m), yet the population bounced back within about four years. It is not an extremely high density population, but it did recover to some degree after the vast majority of the population was blown out of the channel and into the surrounding woodlands, buried in substrate, and/or killed by the debris flow. The point is that a recovery, as you hope, is not impossible if basic needs for the fish and their reproduction are met.

Transfers of adult trout brook trout into streams where there were no wild trout have also seen limited success in SE Pa. There was very limited success in a Montgomery Co limestoner. In the case of a Bucks Co limestoner, the introduction was also successful, but I have not seen the data so I don’t know how successful. The introduction occurred after dam removal. The dam had been heating the stream below and the large spring had been discharging into the backwaters of the impoundment. These are very unique cases where cold limestone springs have allowed introductions to work to some extent. Finally, there is a case currently being worked on in Schuylkill Co that I discussed here about a week ago and this would be the more standard situation in Pa. A stream is gradually recovering on its own and an attempt at speeding up that recovery through treatment of a former mine discharge will be made. An existing, very low density wild brook trout “population” near the mouth of the stream will probably move upstream for a few miles once water quality improves. Similar water quality improvements in the Schuylkill R over time have allowed the brook trout to access the mouth of the subject stream and marginal water quality near the mouth has allowed the brook trout to move into the stream for a few hundred meters.

 

[glamcaster]

Thanks for such an insightful response! I agree with you that the water should be cold enough due to the limestone and canopy over the park at least. That's really cool that you got to see browns here in the 1980's, and I'm a bit jealous!! If only you got to wonder upstream for an unabridged look at the Crabrookies back then.

Thanks for getting me thinking about substrate and its impact on BT survival. There is still a sedimentation issue; today better than the steep, trench-like erosion and exposed clay banks that I noticed ~2012. I'm excited to return with a sharper eye soon. One tributary is lined with a lot of rock grooves (limestone?), and no upstream sediment to pave holding pools! There's such a narrow chance this whole watershed has become inhospitable to BT, or so I hope.

In your opinion, what size are best suited for recolonization? Should I do YOY micros, 3-4", spawning adults with fading parr marks? Is a mix of ages better? As I said, the transfers would likely come from a Chester County stream with a lower gradient but similar vibe. Genetically, I guess this is more logical than specimens from some Berks Co. streams with better parking, lol.

I'm interested in what you mentioned about that mouth-repopulating phenomena. Thanks again for the info.

I'll be sure to update more about Crabby--seems largely unspoken of on here. Maybe due to the exclusive, all-too-private nature of Chester County's mainline :roll:

 

[Mike]

A private individual or club could only legally transfer wild adults that are caught via hook and line, 7” or longer, 5 fish per day creel limit per angler, and caught during the open regular trout season.

My crew did do an electrofishing survey in the original wild brook trout stretch before they were extirpated . I think that was in the early 1990’s.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Being in possession of trout less than 7" would be in violation of fish and boat code and you could be cited....

If you have interest in trying to restart a brook trout population, I strongly recommend that you contact the PFBC regional office and coordinate with the area fisheries manager. They may support your effort and provide assistance to transport fish less than the legal size in a legal manner. They may also have recommendations on your source stream based on population density, stream habitat etc.

 

[glamcaster]

thank you

 

[glamcaster]

Very cool!! Were you in attendance for the that screening in the 1990's? If so, you'll have to share anything that sticks out in your memory. It must have been such a novelty.

 

[glamcaster]

Wow! Were you with the surveying team that day on Crabby Creek? do you remember anything of it, by chance?

 

[laszlo]

If there is a TIC school near you have them stock the stream.

 

[sarce]

I would be careful removing brook trout from another chester county stream to plant in the other stream, unless the source population is very strong. In most cases I know of in chester county, the remaining populations have fallen on hard times. I think there are 50% less brook trout in the county than 10 years ago (a few streams no longer support them and the ones that still do are progressively silting in and have fewer fish than they used to). I can PM more specifics if you'd like.

I work in stormwater management and while I'm glad to see the plan for infiltration trenches, I hope they are being designed with an eye to controlling runoff from events larger than 10-year storms. The rapidly declining streams I mentioned above have been badly damaged by some of the freak flash floods that are becoming more and more common. The frequent storms dumping 3"+ rain in a half hour creates a level of runoff that destabilizes the stream banks. Storms like that have a supposed recurrence interval of 50-100 years which typical stormwater facilities are not designed to handle.

I do not want to put down efforts to restore that population of brook trout, it just may be too soon.

 

[glamcaster]

sarce wrote:
I would be careful removing brook trout from another chester county stream to plant in the other stream, unless the source population is very strong. In most cases I know of in chester county, the remaining populations have fallen on hard times. I think there are 50% less brook trout in the county than 10 years ago--
--The frequent storms dumping 3"+ rain in a half hour creates a level of runoff that destabilizes the stream banks.

I do not want to put down efforts to restore that population of brook trout, it just may be too soon.

Hey Sarce,

Thanks for the insight, and you've convinced me to opt for a truly resilient Berks Co plant population (assuming I even get the ball in motion..). While the population in the aforementioned ChesCo stream is very strong, you're right they deserve to be undisturbed. I would be happy to share this stream with you via PM; it flows into Lancaster county and holds a v special place in my heart. What you've shared about such sharp BT extirpation is hard to swallow, and I thank you for sharing.

Recently, I've seen first hand how many ChesCo "brook trout streams" are silty chub/minnow streams with a brook trout here or there... truly heartbreaking stuff. Even in watersheds with little/nothing left to develop, sedimentation is increasingly an issue of climate change and storm intensity :/ I appreciate your perspective

 

[sarce]

Ah, that can only be one stream that crosses the county lines - never tried that one as I'm not sure where to access it. That's a bit of a different area from the streams I'm thinking of that are barely hanging on, and if you think it is healthy then moving a few won't hurt. Do keep in mind what was mentioned previously about the fish needing to be of legal size. I'm on a trip at the moment but will shoot you a PM in a few days, love talking about those streams I grew up on!

 

[glamcaster]

Wow, never expected to find another Chester County Brookhead! I'm very impressed by your knowledge, and can only imagine the hell you've witnessed in this region over the years. Glad to know there are enough of these fish to have a little fan club in 2021