June
2, 2016 - Conservationists can now point to the largest dam removal
project in the U.S. as a success story. The ecosystem of Washington's
Elwha River has been thriving since the removal of its hydroelectric dam
system. Recent surveys show dramatic recovery, especially in the near
shore at the river's mouth, where the flow of sediment has created
favorable habitat for the salmon population. A new generation of salmon
species, some of which are endangered, are now present in the river.
Some hope that the restoration of the Elwha River will become a shining
example for the removal of dams across the U.S.
Federal energy regulators are visiting the Lehigh Valley and Hunterdon County next month to take input on the environmental impact of the proposed PennEast Pipeline.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conducts a scoping meeting for the planned PennEast Pipeline Project on Feb. 25, 2015, in West Trenton, New Jersey. (NJ Advance Media file photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)
In-stream wood is critical for supporting wild trout. Photo by Louis Cahill
Wood is Good!
Several years back, one of my favorite wild trout streams, only a few
miles from my house, got slammed with tornados and high winds (from back to back hurricanes that had moved up from Florida).
The aftermath from the strong storms, downed dozens, upon dozens of
trees along the stream. I was heartbroken at first when I witnessed all
the downed wood. The first thing I thought about, was how much critical
shade the stream had lost from the destruction of the large stretches of
tree canopy along its banks. And that made me nervous water
temperatures would thereby increase significantly during the summer
months, posing a real threat to year round survival of the wild trout
that lived there. I wasn’t alone in my worries, as I quickly found out
when I talked with my local fly fisherman in the area. The large
majority were in total agreement. We thought the best thing we could do,
was go in and strategically remove as much wood as we could to avoid
massive silt build ups, which we thought at the time, was causing the
stream flow to slow down, and not only contribute to warming the water,
but also choking out the natural aquatic bug life. Looking back now, as a
much more educated angler, I know see the massive influx of in-stream
wood cover that was gifted to us by the hurricanes, was not an
environmental catastrophe, but actually a blessing in disguise for our
beloved trout stream.
An example of a manmade logjam.
The truth is, a key element that many of our trout streams lack, is
enough in-stream lay downs and log jams provided by fallen trees during
storms. They’re critical for maintaining and supporting a healthy
ecosystem, because they provide cover for all sizes of fish, both mature
and juvenile, and they also hold back gravel critical for spawning
grounds, and leaf litter from being washed out during high flows. The
natural obstructions that they provide, also help to create new riffles
and pools, thereby decreasing the chances of long stretches of trout
streams ending up running straight as an arrow, widening over time, and
becoming too shallow and barren of sufficient trout habitat.
I recently ran across a video on The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog,
that showcased the local DNR going in and creating manmade logjams.
They did this by strategically pulling down trees with heavy equipment
on a trout and salmon stream, that overtime had been almost completely
flushed out down to bare bedrock over the years. The goal for the
project was to improve habitat, stabilize and increase the amount of
gravel to improve spawning habitat, and also increase the number of
riffles and pools. The video hit home with me and made me ask the
question, “Why aren’t we doing more of this across the United States on
all of our cold-water watersheds?”
Please watch the short video, support their efforts if your financial
resources permit, and at the very least, take the time to spread the
word with your local anglers and TU groups, about the importance of
in-stream wood in our fisheries. Yeah, the added wood in our streams and
rivers will cause us to lose quite a few more flies in snags. However,
the long-term health advantages of the ecosystems on our salmonid
watersheds, by the increase in available wood cover, will end up paying
back our fly fishing endeavors ten fold over time.
On July 6th, 2016 Flyway Excavating notched a hole
in the small dam near Bridal Path Road to begin the process of
removing the dam. Notching the dam took all of about 10 mins, but
represented years of work by Monocacy TU and its partners.
Admittedly, it probably took longer to get to this point than it
should have, but when we are dealing with volunteer efforts, these
things sometimes happen. Work, life, family, and other fun stuff
(like fishing!) get in the way of moving these projects forward. In
spite of the distractions and slow pace, those involved managed to
stay on track and keep things moving forward. Unfortunately the
process itself is somewhat involved. We needed to get permits,
landowner permissions, grants written and awarded, contracts drafted,
etc, etc. To say it was gratifying to see some actual
(de)-construction happening after years of talking, planning,
meeting, and waiting would be an understatement. I would like to
specifically thank the following people/ organizations that made this
project happen:
Sisters of St. Francis and the Snyder family
Viorel Dragan, Monocacy TU Member
Kristie Fach, Director of Ecological
Restoration Wildlands Conservancy
Laura Craig, PhD, Director, Science and
Economics; River Restoration Programs, American Rivers
Clair Sadler, Delaware & Lehigh
National Heritage Corridor
Dr. Ted Burger, Monocacy TU Director
Emeritus
Sam (Kutskel) Ferguson and Tali
MacArthur, Coldwater Heritage Partnership
There were many more who offered advise
and expertise along the way, and Monocacy TU appreciates your
assistance and guidance.
This project was completed in
partnership with the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape
Initiative. Funding was provided in part by a grant from PA
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of
Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund,
administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor,
Inc. In addition, this project was also funded by a grant from the
Coldwater Heritage Partnership on behalf of the PA Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, the PA Fish and Boat Commission,
the Foundation of Pennsylvania Watersheds and the PA Council of Trout
Unlimited.