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*This trout is not in his
'Happy Place!'
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Conservation Reports
"When you put your hand in a flowing
stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first that is still
to come"
- Leonardo Da Vinci
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Batten Kill Activities
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Onesquethaw Creek
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Dwaas Kill
&
Dwaas Kill Update
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White Creek Activities
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Activities Map
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Mettawee
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The Batten Kill near Rexleigh Bridge |
Battenkill Cleanups for 2012
April 21
June 23
September 22
October 20
Clearwater
Chapter adopted a ~3 mile stretch of
Rte 313 next to it's home water, the Batten Kill, and 4 times per year we’ll spend an hour or so picking up roadside
debris then enjoy a picnic afterwards with our friends from the
Batten Kill Conservancy.
Please
join us next season for a nice walk, some easy work, time with old & new friends, and
refreshments provided before and afterwards.
(Plus,
maybe some members will be willing to share their ‘secret’ spots on the
Batten Kill to those who participate…).
View Larger Map |
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New Maps for Places to Fish in
North-Central NY Available.
Thirteen new maps have been added
to the
North-Central New York Public Fishing Rights (PEF) Maps() web page.
These new maps will help guide anglers to trout fishing streams
throughout DEC's Region 6, covering Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, St.
Lawrence, and Jefferson Counties. These areas called Public Fishing
Rights (PFRs) are permanent easements purchased by the DEC from
willing landowners, giving anglers the right to fish along stream
banks on the landowner's property. Visit the
NYS DEC PFR Maps
webpage to find other available PFR locations in the State.
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CLEARWATER
CHAPTER TROUT UNLIMITED
Current
Conservation Initiatives Underway
***
Any one of these initiatives listed below are great opportunities to
volunteer and assist Clearwater TU with its conservation work in the region
and is a great learning opportunity. Contact
Roy Lamberton if you would like to
assist with any one of these projects that does not already have a person
assigned to it.
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1. Fox Creek tributary to Catskill Creek, in
Albany County. DEC Dennis Wischman (Reg.4 Fisheries) is negotiating stream
improvements, Public Fishing Rights (PFR), and bridge repair for a
bridge/culvert owned by Albany County. Curently seeking funding to assist
Albany County in creating step pools to allow trout migration into this
spawning trib. Work is being designed by US Fish & Wildlife Service
(USF&WS). Dennis is now the PFR person for DEC Region 4.
2. Onesquethaw-Coeymans Creek, PFR in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County.
Scott Wells (Reg.4 Fisheries) expects to file his required paperwork for DEC
to purchase about 1 mile of PFR in late November 2011. The
Onesquethaw-Coeymans Watershed Council (OCWC) has about $12,000 in the bank
to help purchase the PFR, which is now not needed. $5,000 came from
Clearwater Chapter. This money will be used to build a parking lot and make
trout habitat improvements on the PFR stretch.
3. OCWC received a grant from DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP) and
the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) to
build a public information kiosk (among other projects) at the PFR site on
Onesquethaw Creek. TU volunteers have already begun constructing the kiosk (see
Photos page)
4. Geyser Brook in Saratoga County has about $35,000 available in
remediation funds from Saratoga County, with DEC Region 5 guidance, for
trout habitat. Our chapter will lead the effort, in partnership with US
F&WS, DEC, and Saratoga County to improve the trout fishery. Lead person is
Greg Cuda.
5. Saratoga County trout streams, significantly Kayaderosseras Creek,
availability of over $200,000 for stream improvements. Funds are from
Saratoga County for remediation. Designs are by USF&WS. Volunteers are
needed from our chapter to prepare permit applications to DEC and be
liaisons.
6. The Dwaas Kill and a spawning tributary in Clifton Park, Saratoga County,
have a wild population of brook trout. There is a town nature preserve for
public access. Protections and improvements are needed. We need to maintain
liaisons to Clifton Park. Lead person is
Stan Duncan, but we need more volunteers.
7. East Branch Delaware River, Tomannex State Forest Project at Harvard. A
partnership of 4 chapters is planning a trout habitat project using design
by US F&WS. If successful, the partnership will expand to other sites
hopefully throughout the Catskills. Lead persons for Clearwater are
Roy Lamberton and
Ken Waldie.
8. Catskill Watersheds Partnership (CWP) is the name given to an informal
coalition of chapters throughout the Catskills to strengthen small chapters
and undertake habitat improvements. Clearwater is participating because so
many of our members fish these waters. Our first trial project will be the
Tomannex Project described above. Potential member chapters are Upper
Delaware, Dave Brandt, Al Hazzard, Clearwater, Beamoc, NY City, Catskill
Mountain, and others. Lead persons are Roy Lamberton and Ken Waldie - more
volunteers are needed.
9. The Batten Kill has many projects, similar to the ones in Vermont, which
have been completed and are being planned in the coming years. Lead persons
are Greg Cuda and
Art Coleman.
10. White Creek has more habitat and
stabilization projects planned. Lead persons are
Art Coleman and
Greg Cuda.
11. Beaver Kill and Delaware System Public Fishing Rights are receiving
attention from prominent anglers and conservationists who have learned about
the CWP and TU involvement. People currently involved in researching PFR are
Ed Van Put (author of "Beaverkill"), Tony Bonovist (retired Reg.3
Fisheries), Dave Brandt, and Dave Plummer. Lead persons from Clearwater are
Roy Lamberton and
Ken Waldie - others are welcome.
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2010 Stream
Temperature Data Report
Weather, stream, and other
temperature data for Cayadutta, White Creek, and Onesquethaw\Coeymans
creeks.
Creek & Logger
Locations
General Season
Temperature Profile
High
Temperature Incident Data & Atmospheric Comparison
Downloadable in PDF
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Dwaas Kill
Update
Temperature Monitoring of DWAAS KILL / BEAR BROOK
Clifton Park, NY
Summer 2009
Attached is
the final report submitted to the Town of Clifton Park which was to
monitor the effects of storm water runoff
into Bear Brook and the impact on wild brook trout known to be present and
spawn in the stream. The headwaters of Bear Brook receive storm water runoff
from Shopper’s World, a complex with approximately 22 acres of impervious
surface consisting of parking lots and flat roof tops.
Final Report in PDF format
Get Free
Adobe Reader
to view Acrobat .PDF files |
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Dwaas Kill:
In 2006 the Town of Clifton Park purchased 250 acres of land and
designated it as the Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve. The Dwaas Kill contains
wild brook trout and runs about 1.3 miles through the Preserve. Spawning
brook trout have been observed. In 2008 the Town of Clifton Park Open Spaces
Committee began the process of developing a Master Plan for future use of
the Preserve and a consultant was hired to assist in the planning. The
Town has indicated a desire to maintain the Preserve in its present wild
condition and use it for public education. The Clearwater Chapter was
invited to assist on trout fishery issues. The Master Plan is to be
completed by early 2009.
During 2008, chapter volunteers and DEC surveyed the stream and some
tributaries, and documented brook trout spawning. Several culverts have been
identified as potential barriers to fish migration, water quality and storm
water management issues have been observed, and riparian plantings are
needed in some areas to stabilize some banks. Recent temperature monitoring
data obtained by TU volunteers is being retained and evaluated at the
Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District. This is a unique
opportunity to reserve a wild brook trout fishery in the middle of a highly
developed section of Clifton Park. It is also an outstanding example
of community planning through the joint efforts of the Town, County,
NYSDEC and volunteer organizations such as TU.
Download CD ready Power Point presentation & Viewer of Dwaas
Kill Nature Preserve Project.
Zip file: ~25 MB
download.
Spawning Trout Videos in Dwaas Kill (Windows Media
Player *.avi format)
Video1
Video2 |
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Batten Kill Hi-Brow (Skellie) Farm Site Habitat Restoration:
The Chapter initiated this habitat restoration project on the Batten Kill
River in East Greenwich to remediate damage from prior flooding. The river
had split into two channels which were over widened and shallow. The goal is
to put the river into its original channel, then add cover and shelter to
this reach of river. The channel also needs to be narrowed in sections, and
this work is scheduled to be completed in 2009. In 2008 a rock
structure was built to cutoff one of the river channels and redirect the
river. Several wood vanes were added to the pool above the cutoff adding
cover and shelter for trout. The pool was substantially deepened as the
result of the structure. The bench was built to bank full height to provide
the river access to the farm field during a flood event.
The work was funded by the Clearwater Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the
Batten Kill Watershed Alliance. Technical assistance was provided by Art
Coleman and Dr. John Braico of Clearwater and Adirondack TU chapters,
respectively. Design and implementation was provided by Carl Schwartz with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Hi-Brow Farms contributed rock and
trees for the project. The projected work for 2009 includes adding
more large woody debris to the pools reaches, and building rock vanes to
narrow and deepen the river where needed. We have a commitment for trees,
rock and the use of an excavator from Hi-Brow Farms.
This work is continuing through 2012 |
Members
of the Adirondack and Clearwater Chapters doing a survey on the Batten
Kill River just below the Eagleville Bridge on September 20, 2010
The team was performing cross sectional
profiles of the stream every 100 feet for a distance of about one half
mile. The information is provided to US Fish and Wild Life for design
of structures to provide habitat and redirection of the stream. The
steam is presently too straight, wide, shallow and provide little if no
safe habitat (protection) for trout.
This work is a continuation of work
that has been completed just above the bridge and work further up stream
at the picnic area just below the Vermont State Line.
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Batten Kill Luty Site:
With USF&W, we looked at an eroding bank threatening a
summer home and provided advice to the homeowner.
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Batten Kill Access:
We are attempting to determine the location of all
public access points on the Batten Kill in a joint effort with the
Batten Kill Conservancy and DEC.
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Batten Kill Foster Farm Site:
Chapter volunteers planted tree seedlings at last year’s project site.
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Roadside Cleanup:
We completed four highway cleanups on Route 313 along the Batten Kill,
partnering with the Batten Kill Conservancy for 4.5 miles of roadside.
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White Creek in Salem:
Clearwater and Adirondack Chapter volunteers planted tree seedlings and
assisted USF&W with placement of boulder clusters to improve fish habitat.
This is a continuing project with the Adirondack Chapter.
The USF&WS has dedicated funds for habitat work
over the next
several years. The Batten Kill Watershed Alliance is the lead
non-governmental organization, in partnership with our chapter, the
Adirondack Chapter, and NYS DEC. Greg Cuda is the chapter 's
liaison.
A
berm which prevents flood plain access, is scheduled to be removed this
year.
A
separate project involving chapter volunteers and the USF&WS to measure
sediment transport, is being delayed until next year, while a new measuring
protocol is being developed. |
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Little White Creek:
Volunteers planted tree seedlings and assisted USF&W with a bank
stabilization project.
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Mettawee:
Clearwater and Adirondack Chapter
volunteers surveyed a reach to provide data to USF&W for design of habitat
improvement structures within the Granville Town Park. We met with
Granville officials and showed them some of our structures on White Creek
and the Batten Kill.
Habitat work, including initial surveys by
volunteers from the Clearwater and
Adirondack Chapters, has been delayed because of
discovery of coal tar contamination and ongoing remediation by DEC. It is
planned to do some surveying this year in a reference reach in VT.
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Onesquethaw-Coeymans Creek
Below is a photo of the largest unstable
bank Carl Schwartz (USF&WS) has ever seen, on tiny Onesquethaw Creek in
Albany County. This is in a newly proposed PFR (public fishing rights)
stretch, and there are plans to stabilize the toe. But the power line's days
are probably numbered. The person in the photo left immediately after the
photo, as the rocks were falling as we stood there. It would be interesting
to know how many tons of sediment from here wound up in the Hudson River
during Hurricane Irene.
Other pictures of recent flood damage
on the Onesquethaw Creek
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Pictures from Barber Stream Restoration and Bank Stabilization Project August 2010
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Ten Mile and Catskill Creeks:
Ten Mile Creek is a tributary of Catskill Creek, and
both contain wild populations of rainbow trout. Clearwater volunteers are
talking to members of the Columbia-Greene TU Chapter and the Greene County
Soil and Water Conservation District regarding joint efforts on the creeks.
Catskill Creek has its headwaters in Schoharie and Albany Counties, and its
tributary, Ten Mile Creek, begins in Albany County.
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Hudson River Watershed Alliance:
A Clearwater volunteer is representing the Onesquethaw-Coeymans Watershed
Council and Trout Unlimited on the steering committee of the
Hudson River
Watershed Alliance. The mission of the Alliance is to protect,
conserve and restore the water resources of the Hudson River Basin through
collaborative outreach, education, networking, science, information sharing
and technical assistance by and for the stakeholders of the region. The work
of the Alliance will be a strong resource for TU chapters as well as
decision makers. |
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Temperature Loggers
Tony Latham has launched the 10 chapter working loggers. Ron Dorn will
oversee the placement of 3 loggers in Cayadutta Creek; Art Coleman will
place 3 in the Battenkill and 2 in White Creek; and Tony will place 2 in the
Onesquethaw-Coeymans. |
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Tree Plantings
Chapter volunteers were involved in planting riparian vegetation provided by
DEC: 300 along White Creek, 100 along Fox Creek, and 200 along Catskill
Creek. |
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Little Hoosic
Our neighboring Homewaters Chapter and the Little Hoosic Watershed
Association are involved in a bank stabilization and farm equipment
crossing, working with the USF&WS. Clearwater volunteers performed the
surveying needed for the design. |
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Map of Clearwater Conservation
Project Areas:
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