Preserving Pennsylvania Streams: Monocacy Creek

 Check out Monocacy TU Board Member Jose DeJesus in this fantastic video by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. and check out the full story HERE

Stream Clean up in Bath PA

 Sorry for the short notice..

Fly Fishing Show: Virtual Classes with the Experts

From the Fly Fishing Show & Tim Flagler:

*This is a Fly Fishing Show Program, not a TU event*

Experience a live and interactive learning experience with our top professionals in a limited attendance Zoom class.  Expect a similar experience to our live events!

Whether you are new to the sport of fly fishing, want to improve your time on the water, need a little refresher, or you just want to spend some one-on-one time with a celebrity, our Classes with the Experts will help you achieve your goals.  These classes will last 2-2.5 hours unless noted otherwise in the descriptions. To ensure quality instruction, class size is limited.  You must register in advance.

Enroll in a Virtual Class with one of the following Experts:

March 19, 7:00pm EST 
Tim Flagler:  Tim Flagler is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although Tightline produces video programs over a wide range of topics, their speciality is fly fishing. Almost every week they produce a new fly tying or “how to” video which appears not only on their Vimeo and YouTube channels but on MidCurrent and the Orvis fly tying blog as well. These videos often get picked up by other sites too, including Frankenfly, Chiwulff, The Limp Cobra, Globalflyfisher, Gink and Gasoline and Wideopenspaces, just to name a few. Many of the tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents and how it can be fished.

Trout Spey with Tim Flagler: In conjunction with the Fly Fishing Show, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions will be giving a virtual class on the basics of Trout Spey including casting, tactics and flies.  Click here for more details and to register.

American Zinc Recycling Corp. settles lawsuit

 American Zinc Recycling Corp. settles lawsuit over pollution at Palmerton facility

69 News  Feb 10, 2021 Updated Feb 10, 2021

 Report: people living near zinc recycling facility should be concerned

 

PALMERTON, Pa. -  American Zinc Recycling Corp. has settled a federal-state lawsuit over pollution from its Palmerton, Carbon County facility.

The lawsuit had cited violations of air, water and hazardous waste environmental laws at the facility, according to a news release from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA said the settlement will lead to environmental and public health benefits, including reduced lead dust exposure, for nearby residents. Lead exposure poses particular health risks to young children and pregnant women.

In settlement papers filed on January 19 in federal court, AZR agreed to carry out an estimated $4.3 million in measures to comply with federal and state environmental laws. The measures include improvements to monitoring of equipment, installing leak-detection equipment, implementing a dust control plan, and implementing a stormwater control plan, the EPA said.  The company will also pay a $3.3 million penalty, which will be divided equally between the U.S. and Pennsylvania.  This settlement is expected to result in substantial reductions of pollution from the AZR facility, including an estimated 47 million pounds of electric arc furnace dust over three years, according to the news release. The complaint and proposed consent decree were filed by the U.S. Justice Department, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The AZR facility in Palmerton is located on Aquashicola Creek, which flows into the Lehigh River. The facility reclaims zinc from electric arc furnace dust, a hazardous waste, the EPA said. The facility also generates waste kiln rubble, which includes hazardous lead and cadmium, according to the EPA. Aboveground oil tanks at the facility have an aggregate 61,000-gallon storage capacity.

FFI and TU Formalize Conservation Partnership

 FEBRUARY 2021

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Fly Fishers International and Trout Unlimited have entered into a formal conservation partnership, consummating the collective conservation focus of each organization to greater substantive effect.  

The agreement formally recognizes and acknowledges the shared conservation commitments of FFI and TU on behalf of the organizations’ members and the fly fishing community.  It also establishes communication between the groups as they collaborate on mutual conservation goals.

The partnership has been approved by FFI’s chairman of the board and president and CEO upon recommendation by the board’s Conservation Committee. Patrick Berry, President and CEO of Fly Fishers International commented: “FFI is dedicated to partnering with leading conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited to ensure protection of our fisheries and their associated habitats for the benefit and enjoyment of the broader fly-fishing community. When we work together to achieve our collective missions, we are able to realize more success than working individually.” Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood said the partnership makes good sense for both TU and FFI. “Fly Fishers International is driven by the three fundamental pillars of conservation, education and community,” Wood said. “That philosophy perfectly aligns with Trout Unlimited’s vision. Because we share mutual conservation goals, we are natural allies.” FFI conservation programs are focused on conserving All Fish, All Waters.  The organization also preserves the legacy of fly fishing by focusing on the importance of a thriving community of individuals who value the camaraderie of angling and appreciates that learning never stops.

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Important Info for 2021 Trout Season

The PA Fish and Boat Commission has made some significant changes to the Trout Stocking schedule which may effect where and when you can fish this Spring.  From the PFBC Quarterly meeting in Harrisburg:

"For the 2021 trout season, the PFBC will operate under a consolidated statewide schedule for all counties.  Under this revised plan, a single Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will occur on Saturday, March 27, and a single Statewide Opening Day of trout season will take place on Saturday, April 3."

"...the PFBC will begin pre-season trout stocking operations on February 15, 2021"...."Due to this change, all streams that are designated as Stocked Trout Waters will be closed to angling when stocking begins on February 15."

 The official press release can be viewed HERE.

If you plan on fishing prior to the Statewide opening day, please review the entire article.

MCWA plants MORE trees!

 Check it out.  MCWA is doing a great job at improving the riparian buffer on our stream.  Please help out if you can.

Election results..and more

Elections:

Not those!  The Monocacy Chapter typically holds it's annual meeting and elections in October, but 2020 being what it is, things were a little different this year.

Due to low turnout at the meeting (understandable), and the uncertainty about when we could reschedule for the future, those in attendance voted unanimously to postpone the election of Officers and Board of Directors until Spring 2021.

So for now we will continue with our current BOD and Officers as usual.

Meetings: 

On HOLD for now. The City of Bethlehem has temporarily closed our normal meeting place, the Daughters of the American Revolution Log Cabin.  As an alternative to that, be on the look out for online or outdoor events to fill in the schedule.  The change in weather and the flexibility of online meetings may mean programs outside the 4th Tuesday of the month we typically use. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out monocacytu491@gmail.com. 

October 2020 Monthly meeting

 Members:

Our annual elections are slated to take place tomorrow, Tuesday Oct. 27th.  This year our meeting will have to be conducted outside, at the Pavilion in Illick's Mill Park (the one closest Illick's Mill Rd).  The meeting time will also be moved up to 5:30.  The agenda for this meeting will be:

1.  Election of Officers

2.  Election of Board of Directors (if needed)

3.  New Buisness

If you currently serve as an Officer or on the Board of Directors and DO NOT wish to continue, please send a quick note to ebroesicke@hotmail.com .

Thanks, hope to see you tomorrow.

MONTHLY MEETING

WHERE: ILLICK'S MILL PARK PAVILLION

WHEN: TUESDAY OCT. 27 5:30 PM

Is your local stream a little low? Bushkill Creek says "Hold my Beer"

This morning, October 15th 2020, the water on Bushkill Creek was once again slowed to a mere trickle when pumps at Buzzi Unicem quarry turned off  for maintenance on an electrical transformer.  The planned shut down was slated to last 4 hrs, starting at 8am.  The pictures below show the effects on the stream in the town of Tatamy, from roughly 9:45 - 12:45pm.  During that time, the water flow went from low to basically 0.  A number of trout from fingerling size to over 12" were observed, and all were struggling in the few pools that had any water.  Numerous other small fish species and aquatic insects were left high and dry.  What can be done?  Share this on social media, follow the Forks of the Delaware Facebook page for updates, and consider contacting your local elected officials to voice your concern.  While some progress on the issue has been made, this has been a problem for 10+ yrs.

Below Main St Bridge, 9:45 am

Down Stream of Tatamy, 11:45 am

Downstream of Tatamy Bridge 12:45