Author: Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited

There will be a lot of research being conducted over the next few years within the Loyalsock Creek Watershed.  Please see the information below provided by Dr. Jonathon Miles of Susquehanna University.

Susquehanna University announced $70,000 in awards to five different organizations to support collaborative freshwater research. The funds are made possible through the university’s $2.25 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The grant was awarded to Susquehanna in May 2014 to support the university’s Freshwater Research Initiative, which seeks to further understand the ecological issues impacting the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.

Additionally, the grant allows Susquehanna to financially support like-minded partner organizations whose work is also focused on the health of the river.

“This is a funding opportunity that is typically only available through state government agencies or major research universities,” said Jonathan Niles, director of Susquehanna’s Freshwater Research Initiative. “Susquehanna University appreciates the opportunity to create these research partnerships and spread the impact of support this very important work we are all doing.”

This year’s inaugural recipients are:

• Shawn Rummel, Trout Unlimited, $19,000, to evaluate cold-water habitat fragmentation caused by inadequate stream-crossing structures in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Bureau of Forestry, Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association, Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies and local municipalities.
• Megan Kepler Schall, Penn State University, $13,500, to investigate the genetic population structure of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River basin in collaboration with the state Fish and Boat Commission, state Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Susquehanna University.
• Ty Wagner, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Penn State University, $12,500, to study the population genetic structure of brook trout in the Loyalsock Creek watershed in collaboration with the state Fish and Boat Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association and Susquehanna University.
• Molly Mehling and Ryan Utz, Chatham University, $9,800, to establish a regional approach to long-term monitoring and modeling of temperatures in Pennsylvanian headwater streams in collaboration with Susquehanna University.
• Peter Petokas, Lycoming College, $7,900, to conduct a baseline assessment of streamside salamander communities in headwater streams of the Loyalsock Creek watershed.
• Matt McTammany, Bucknell University, $7,300, to study the effects of sedimentation from natural gas development on stream ecosystem processes in collaboration with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Lycoming College and Lock Haven University.

In 2011, the Susquehanna River was named the most endangered in the nation by the nonprofit group American Rivers. Communities and businesses depend on the river for commerce, hydropower generation, and recreational fishing and boating.

Ongoing Research

Susquehanna University faculty and students continue to work on the university’s Freshwater Research Initiative. Projects currently underway include:

• Susquehanna River: Investigation of rusty crayfish density and diet; long-term data collection of algae and other aquatic life; detailed studies of the red-backed salamander; investigation of riparian ground spider communities as a potential source for mercury mobilization between food-chains
• Loyalsock Creek, Lycoming County: Long-term data collection of trout populations, other aquatic life and water quality
• Faylor Lake, Snyder County: Use of ground-penetrating radar to assess sediment load
• Surveys of more than 150 streams as part of the statewide Fish and Boat Commission’s Unassessed Waters Initiative

Part of the $2.25 million Richard King Mellon Foundation grant is being used to create Susquehanna’s Freshwater Research Initiative Laboratory, slated to open later this spring.

The center, located in a renovated dairy barn just beyond Susquehanna’s athletic fields on Sassafras Street, Selinsgrove, will serve as a home for the research initiative.

“The Freshwater Research Initiative has had a productive first 10 months of activity, and we’re delighted to welcome these new research partners to our team,” Niles said. “The data we’re accumulating will be a rich resource to help inform decisions that affect environmental and economic policy, as well as communities and individuals for whom the health of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay is an ongoing concern.”

With Trout season only a few days away, we will start going through our gear (if we have not already started) seeing what’s broken or what we don’t need or use. As you do, please keep the Chapter in mind and consider donating your unused, unwanted, and even broken items to the Chapter. We will use these things in Chapter programs, sell them to raise funds for Chapter activities, or donate them to an individual or organization in need.  We will take your broken items and attempt to fix them or keep the parts to be used elsewhere. Every little bit of equipment helps us to meet our goals and continue working toward TU’s mission.

The Susquehanna Chapter received a very large donation of fly tying materials from the former E. Hille Fly shop on April 9.  Walt Nicholson and Dave Craig spent three hours sorting through a storage unit full of materials with Ken Beane, the owner of E. Hille.  The materials were retrieved after the disastrous fire several years ago which caused the shop to close.  The fly tying materials and associated items were taken in 3 full truck loads.  The items are being stored at the First Presbyterian Church and on April 10, Bill O’Connor. Kevin McJunkin, Walt Nicholson, and Dave Craig began sorting and surveying this tremendous donation.  Included in this donation are large quantities of tying materials, many packaged bulk items, many nice carrying bags or all descriptions, and some clothing.  Many more hours will be needed to completely sort out the materials.

We have also received three bass fishing rods and reels from John Konkle of Muncy.

The Chapter wants to thank both Ken Beane and John Konkle for their very generous donations

The Chapter is very excited at all the donations that we have received over the last few years.  We are looking at additional ways to market our inventory in order to generate funds and we will be letting you know as soon as we have made some definite plans.  The future is very exciting but the hard work lies ahead of sorting the materials (both recently donated and things we already have) and writing everything down so that we have an accurate idea as to what we have.

If you would like to help in sorting or by making a donation, please contact any of the Officer’s listed under the About Us page.  We will be out fishing now but will look to do some work inside when the weather does not allow us to be out fishing.

The Pennsylvania Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day is tomorrow and everyone at the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited hopes that you will be able to take a youth (or more than one) out for the day.  We all know the thrill of getting a trout on the end of our line and the many great experiences we have while being outdoors and on the stream.  Please consider taking one of your kids, a neighbors kid, nieces and nephews, or friends kids.

It is important to get kids outdoors and to experience what our great state has to offer.  Kids of today have to many other distractions and activities that keep them indoors and away from nature and the many sports of the outdoors.

Please share any stories or pictures of your day tomorrow with us.  We would love to see stories written by the kids themselves.  We will post them on our website and may use some of them in our newsletter. Remember kids are our future and we need to get them outdoors.

Please keep in mind a few guidelines given by the Fish and Boat Commission:

1. All approved Trout Waters in Pennsylvania are open for mentored youth (does not include special regulation areas)
2. The times of the season are 8 am thru 730 pm
3. Adults (16 years old and older) are required to have a fishing license and trout stamp.
4. Youths (15 years old and younger) are required to have a mentored youth fishing permit or a voluntary fishing license and be accompanied by a licensed adult angler.
5. The Fish Commission receives approximately $5 for every voluntary youth fishing license sold.

Please see the PA Fishing and Boat commission website for more information (http://fishandboat.com/MentoredYouth.htm)

This is a news release issued by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission on April 3, 2015

HARRISBURG, Pa. (April 3) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that it has withdrawn a proposal to change the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only (DHALO) regulations after receiving public comments overwhelmingly opposed to the measure.

The PFBC Board of Commissioners approved the withdrawal of the proposal and the end of the public comment period in a vote conducted this week.

“The DHALO program is a stocked trout program, and social factors play a critical role in how the program is managed,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “The proposed changes were designed to do two things: first, maximize the harvest of stocked trout before stream temperatures increase to lethal levels and, second, increase the opportunity for kids to catch fish.”

“The proposed changes generated much public comment in which questions were posed that would require substantial staff time and effort to fully answer,” he added. “Therefore, we believe that we need to withdraw this idea and focus on identifying other changes where we can more easily accomplish these objectives.”

Approved at the PFBC’s January 2015 quarterly business meeting, the proposal included the following:

• Move the start of the trout harvest period from June 15 to the Saturday before Memorial Day.
• Allow the use of bait by all anglers during the trout harvest period.
• Allow youth anglers under the age of 16 to use bait year-round in DHALO areas.
• Change the minimum length limit from 9 inches to 7 inches.

As of March 31, the agency had received 343 comments, with all but five opposed to the proposal. A main concern expressed by the individuals was the use of bait during the harvest period.

First launched in 1983, the DHALO program is designed to make more stocked trout available later in the season. The current regulations allow harvest only between June 15 and Labor Day, have a minimum size limit of nine inches, and a creel limit of three fish. The waters are open to fishing year-round.

Media Contact
Eric Levis, Press Secretary
717.705.7806
elevis@pa.gov

In a post on March 31, 2015, we let you know about a meeting of the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association to be held on April 14, 2015. This meeting was to be with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to explain the application and water withdrawal process.  This meeting has been cancelled.  Please see the Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association facebook page for more information (https://www.facebook.com/LoyalsockCreekWatershedAssociation)

The Northeast Regional Qualifying fly fishing event is coming to Central Pennsylvania April 24 – 26, 2015. The individuals who will be fishing this event, limited to 24 preregistered anglers, will have a chance to earn a spot on the US Fly Fishing Team.

Fishing Will take place at the following locations:

Upper Spring Creek, McCoy Section: Bellefonte PA

•  from the Mouth(in Milesburg PA) to the upper limit of the Kayak course(just below Lamb St bridge) in Bellefonte

Lower Spring Creek , Milesburg Section: Milesburg, PA

• from the Mouth(in Milesburg PA) to the upper limit of the Kayak course(just below Lamb St bridge) in Bellefonte, P

Penns Creek:  Coburn,PA

• From the bridge over Penns Creek in Coburn, PA downstream to old train trestle bridge at the end of Tunnel Road

Big Fishing Creek: Lamar, PA

• From 1st bridge Upstream of USFWS Hatchery to a point 1.5 miles upstream.
  

The Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association is holding a meeting that is open to the public at the Plunketts Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department, 327 Dunwoody Road, in Barbours on Tuesday, April 14th, at 6:30 p.m. …

The roles of our area’s cooperative trout hatchery programs and their benefits to local cold water fishing streams and opportunities will be the topic of presentations at the Wednesday, April 8^th meeting of the Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited at 7 pm at the Fellowship Hall at the rear of the First Presbyterian Church, Corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets, Williamsport.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Muncy Creek Consolidated Sportsmen and Lycoming Creek Anglers operate nurseries in cooperation with the PA Fish and Boat Commission to help supply our local streams with trout for the angling public, with the work dependent on dedicated volunteers. Please come to hear about their programs and what is involved in raising fish and stocking streams, and how you might be able to help out. Slate Run Tackle Shop has donated a new Orvis Hydros fly line which will be given away as a door prize at the meeting. Please note the time change to 7 pm.

We just became aware of this by way of email from Katy Dunlap of Trout Unlimited.  The PFBC will be considering whether to add 45 streams/stream segments to the Wild Trout Stream list at their May 4-5, 2015 commission meeting. Some of these streams are within our area.

The PFBC is accepting public comments on the addition of these streams to the Wild Trout Stream list. Many of these streams being considered were surveyed three years ago and found to hold naturally reproducing trout populations, and we are pleased that the PFBC is taking action to ensure that they are managed property and provided protections.  There are more than 350 streams/stream segments that were surveyed from 2011-2013, and found to support naturally reproducing trout, that are on a backlog waiting to be added to the Wild Trout Stream list. TU supports the addition of these 45 streams and urges the PFBC to continue to add formally add streams to the Wild Trout Stream list that have been surveyed and found to hold naturally reproducing trout populations.

Comments can be submitted electronically (http://fishandboat.com/promo/form/advance-notice-streams.htm ), or you can send a letter to John Arway, PFBC Executive Director (cc: your PFBC commissioner) at:  1601 Elmerton Ave, PO Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA  17106-7000.  Please send comments by March 30.

The PA Fish & Boat Commission has proposed a number of changes to Delayed Harvest Artificial Lure regulations that would greatly alter the quality of angling in these popular stream sections, including moving up the start of the harvest season, allowing the use of bait, and lowering the minimum size of harvested trout to 7 inches. This program which was begun in 1983 includes 83 stream sections, 19 of which have been documented to contain wild trout. Click the links below for more information.

2015-03 Proposed DHALO changes

2015-03 PA Trout position on Proposed DHALO changes

Public Comments are being accepted on this proposal until May 13, 2015. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, objections or suggestions about the proposed rulemaking to the Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000.  Comments also may be submitted electronically by completing the form at http://www.fishandboat.com/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt. Electronic comments submitted in any other manner will not be accepted.

Whatever your thoughts and opinions are on this matter, please let them be known.  Now is your chance to become involved.