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Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:40 am
by Castaline
Noticed yesterday that a backhoe has begun to scoop out out the streambed and use this material to create a road along the stream. This is behind the stores on Wanaque Ave in Pompton Lakes. Not finding anything out on line? Devastating to the stream back there. Any idea one what is going on?

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:21 pm
by Rusty Spinner
You should call WARNDEP at 877-927-6337. Report it and ask for a case number you can follow up with. Chances are it is permitted although if a wild trout stream, then only since 3/16. DEP Enforcement will likely call you to tell you what they learned. If it is permitted, then you know it has proper oversight. If not, they can come down hard on any law breakers. Usually don't, but can....

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2020 10:29 am
by Rusty Spinner
DEP Enforcement was contacted and the county will be inspecting it today, I was told. If memory serves now that I better understand where this is, it was supposed to be a de-snagging of tree project. But this excavator (not backhoe) is digging in the channel, and that is typically not part of any de-snagging permits.....

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:33 am
by Castaline
Thanks Rusty for making the call. I was off line past 2 days with computer glitch but am back now. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:18 pm
by taltac
The only way to protect our waters from harmful activity is through citizen action. Don't count on state or local oversight and enforcement without public pressure. I am learning from experience with Green Brook in Watchung.

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:13 pm
by coaltrout
taltac wrote:
Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:18 pm
I am learning from experience with Green Brook in Watchung.
Unfortunately that's been really ruined by liter, intentionally or from floods picking crap up, and of course countless urbanization around it. I haven't dared fish below the park right when it hits rt 22 from the reservation. I do know all the way down by middlesex highschool, where there was a serious liter cleanup by volunteers. Log jams full of plastics n stuff. Probably cycles every high-water event. I did see healthy suckers down there.

It's trout maintenance up by the reservation, seen trout myself in july there, i wouldn't be surprised (but impressed) if i saw a trout somewhere lower than rt 22 holding on.

Stony brook looks like great lil trout stream if the lakes were never built.

Ive been to greenbrook above blue brook confluence, but only found chubs. under rt 78 looks cool but never got around to finding access.

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 7:39 pm
by superomni
I fish the Wanaque a lot and saw the machinery and "work" that was done as well. Any updates if what was done was on the up and up?

Re: Lower Wanaque Damaged Severely

Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 10:47 am
by Rusty Spinner
Castaline wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:33 am
Thanks Rusty for making the call. I was off line past 2 days with computer glitch but am back now. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.
I did not make the call, but I am aware of someone else that did. The fact that they continue to do what they have been doing tells me they have a permit. DEP Enforcement would shut them down if not. But that is purely speculation. I do not know enough about this.