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Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:52 am
by cappy
Anyone know how often the state assesses/surveys, and publishes findings on the health of wild trout streams? I believe the last one was in 2015?

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:47 am
by Rusty Spinner
cappy wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:52 am
Anyone know how often the state assesses/surveys, and publishes findings on the health of wild trout streams? I believe the last one was in 2015?
They are updating right now, but I don't know when they plan to release their data. I think after this year is over, but don't hold me to that. I do know they initially focused on all listed WTS, but I think they completed a reassessment of those long ago. You can always call the Lebanon Fisheries Laboratory in Lebanon Twp. and talk to a fisheries biologist. They are happy to answer questions like yours.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:18 pm
by njcatchrelease
cappy wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:52 am
Anyone know how often the state assesses/surveys, and publishes findings on the health of wild trout streams? I believe the last one was in 2015?
I believe I read something that stated they do it every 5 years.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:06 am
by cappy
Thank you for the replies.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:11 am
by Dave B.
The biologists covering the trout streams spent large portions of 2015, '16, and '17 surveying all of the listed and other known WTS's. That work is what prompted the changes to the list in the 2018 regs. As Brian mentioned the Freshwater Fisheries Bureau is currently revising the entire Freshwater Fisheries Management Program as they're legally required to do periodically. That work is consuming the vast majority of their time this year so very little is being done in the way of field work such as stream and/or lake sampling.
Once the revision is completed they can get back to doing what they truly enjoy, that is spending time both afield and subsequently in the lab, working to monitor the health of our waters and fish populations.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:39 am
by Rusty Spinner
Somewhat off topic - The Division just hired a great new fisheries biologist, Garret Kratina. He was a seasonal employee here in NJ this summer for TU. They have added a few new biologists the last few years as retirements have cropped up.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:04 pm
by coaltrout
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:39 am
Somewhat off topic - The Division just hired a great new fisheries biologist, Garret Kratina. He was a seasonal employee here in NJ this summer for TU. They have added a few new biologists the last few years as retirements have cropped up.
Welcome, Garret :mrgreen: (if your reading)

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:18 pm
by Dave B.
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:39 am
Somewhat off topic - The Division just hired a great new fisheries biologist, Garret Kratina. He was a seasonal employee here in NJ this summer for TU. They have added a few new biologists the last few years as retirements have cropped up.
That's great news! We certainly need some new blood and more qualified persons to handle all the work the FFB biologists have to deal with! Thanks for the update and as 'Coaltrout' said, Welcome Garret!

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:27 pm
by lightenup
I saw a few government employees this morning standing in Spruce Run Creek with a line over it and a line hanging in the water by the flood gauge...anything to do with this or is this the USGS monitoring their gauges?

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:42 am
by Rusty Spinner
lightenup wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:27 pm
I saw a few government employees this morning standing in Spruce Run Creek with a line over it and a line hanging in the water by the flood gauge...anything to do with this or is this the USGS monitoring their gauges?
That is how they calibrate their gauges. When you see a red "star" on a readout, that is the reading the USGS employee(s) got compared to the electronic gauges. They should match. Sometimes debris can cause gauges to not work or stop working and same for ice in winter.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:06 pm
by coaltrout
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:42 am
lightenup wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:27 pm
I saw a few government employees this morning standing in Spruce Run Creek with a line over it and a line hanging in the water by the flood gauge...anything to do with this or is this the USGS monitoring their gauges?
That is how they calibrate their gauges. When you see a red "star" on a readout, that is the reading the USGS employee(s) got compared to the electronic gauges. They should match. Sometimes debris can cause gauges to not work or stop working and same for ice in winter.
Always wondered about that, thanks!

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 1:19 pm
by Rusty Spinner
coaltrout wrote:
Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:06 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:42 am
lightenup wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:27 pm
I saw a few government employees this morning standing in Spruce Run Creek with a line over it and a line hanging in the water by the flood gauge...anything to do with this or is this the USGS monitoring their gauges?
That is how they calibrate their gauges. When you see a red "star" on a readout, that is the reading the USGS employee(s) got compared to the electronic gauges. They should match. Sometimes debris can cause gauges to not work or stop working and same for ice in winter.
Always wondered about that, thanks!
My great uncle, Orland Bartholomew, worked as a stream gauger for USGS in California his entire career. His son, still alive today, is a retired CA fisheries biologist. I learned a lot from them when I was a younger man.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 7:26 am
by coaltrout
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Thu Sep 05, 2019 1:19 pm

My great uncle, Orland Bartholomew, worked as a stream gauger for USGS in California his entire career. His son, still alive today, is a retired CA fisheries biologist. I learned a lot from them when I was a younger man.
Interesting, Nice, glad to have the knowledge shared.

Re: Stream Assessments

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2019 12:40 pm
by lightenup
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:42 am
lightenup wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:27 pm
I saw a few government employees this morning standing in Spruce Run Creek with a line over it and a line hanging in the water by the flood gauge...anything to do with this or is this the USGS monitoring their gauges?
That is how they calibrate their gauges. When you see a red "star" on a readout, that is the reading the USGS employee(s) got compared to the electronic gauges. They should match. Sometimes debris can cause gauges to not work or stop working and same for ice in winter.
and the red star appeared on the chart, today!!!! ;)