Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu May 31, 2018 5:43 pm

lightenup wrote:
Thu May 31, 2018 4:15 pm
I think this is a great move, but what are you going to do about all the little wild brown trout in that creek? Will they compete with the brookies, and while you are at it, see if you can get the state to stop the stockings of rainbows each spring, as they will compete for food as well... I know, I'm asking a lot, but that would be putting the creek even closer to its natural state....

and how about that giant reservoir that is damming it up down by Muller Toyota..lets get that removed too!!!! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Baby steps, my friend. It took over 140 years to f-up our native fisheries, and it's going to take at least that to fix them assuming there is even a fix coming. 8-)

But that dam isn't going anywhere, ever would be my guess nor should it with 3 million NJ residents depending on drinking water from behind it. We do need some dams....just not the old, obsolete ones.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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Twism86
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Twism86 » Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:33 am

This thread is gold.....

I get that some people are upset that a pond is gone but its really hard to see anything wrong with restoring something back to the way it should be. We have changed enough natural places as it is already and bringing one back, especially one with the potential to hold wild brook trout (the state fish), to its natural state is worth doing. Plenty of bass ponds elsewhere.
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Twism86
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Twism86 » Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:39 am

Kronk wrote:
Wed May 30, 2018 4:16 pm
You will starve before there are enough if any in there. I'am sure the boy scouts are thrilled with a six foot wide puddle to fish in.
That would be a 6' wide stream as the water is flowing. A puddle would be a small pool of stagnant water, typically formed by rainwater..... ;) The more you know!
"Stupidity is scary but genius can be frightening.
Genius built the atom bomb. Genius topples nations."

troutfishing4life
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by troutfishing4life » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:26 am

This thread is really funny!
Bring back the native trout and personally Spruce run creek is a gem of stream

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by lightenup » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:36 am

Rusty Spinner wrote:
Thu May 31, 2018 5:43 pm
lightenup wrote:
Thu May 31, 2018 4:15 pm
I think this is a great move, but what are you going to do about all the little wild brown trout in that creek? Will they compete with the brookies, and while you are at it, see if you can get the state to stop the stockings of rainbows each spring, as they will compete for food as well... I know, I'm asking a lot, but that would be putting the creek even closer to its natural state....

and how about that giant reservoir that is damming it up down by Muller Toyota..lets get that removed too!!!! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Baby steps, my friend. It took over 140 years to f-up our native fisheries, and it's going to take at least that to fix them assuming there is even a fix coming. 8-)

But that dam isn't going anywhere, ever would be my guess nor should it with 3 million NJ residents depending on drinking water from behind it. We do need some dams....just not the old, obsolete ones.
Once again, a joke....boy you people don't pick up on sarcasm well...lol(that was another joke).....no shit Rusty!!! ;)

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by lightenup » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:36 am

troutfishing4life wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:26 am
This thread is really funny!
Bring back the native trout and personally Spruce run creek is a gem of stream
Stay away from my water :D ;) ;) ;)

garden hackle
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by garden hackle » Fri Jun 01, 2018 2:17 pm

lightenup wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:36 am
troutfishing4life wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:26 am
This thread is really funny!
Bring back the native trout and personally Spruce run creek is a gem of stream
Stay away from my water :D ;) ;) ;)
There is no fish in Spruce Run Creek, move along, nothing to see, go fish the gorge or a 6’ puddle instead.
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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by lightenup » Fri Jun 01, 2018 3:45 pm

garden hackle wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 2:17 pm
lightenup wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:36 am
troutfishing4life wrote:
Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:26 am
This thread is really funny!
Bring back the native trout and personally Spruce run creek is a gem of stream
Stay away from my water :D ;) ;) ;)
There is no fish in Spruce Run Creek, move along, nothing to see, go fish the gorge or a 6’ puddle instead.
Correct, I have caught them all, ground them up added potatoes and a little cheese and deep fried them...mmmmm delicious!!!!!

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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by troutfishing4life » Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:53 am

You googans keep fish :roll: :roll: :roll:

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by lightenup » Mon Jun 04, 2018 12:45 pm

troutfishing4life wrote:
Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:53 am
You googans keep fish :roll: :roll: :roll:
HAHAHA no f'in way...fish are disgusting...... ;)

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:56 pm

troutfishing4life wrote:
Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:53 am
You googans keep fish :roll: :roll: :roll:
Like you don't keep every legal fish you catch in the salt :lol: (but I loved "googans") :D
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troutfishing4life
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by troutfishing4life » Mon Jun 04, 2018 4:22 pm

Like you don't keep every legal fish you catch in the salt :lol: (but I loved "googans") :D
[/quote]

Salt water fish are tasty thats why!

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:16 pm

Here's a photo taken early last December showing the lake immediately after lowering and fish capture and transfer to nearby ponds:
Lake bed muddy bottom after lowering resized.jpg
Lake bed muddy bottom after lowering resized.jpg (66.78 KiB) Viewed 38284 times
And a photo from earlier today:
Lake bed greened up resized.jpg
Lake bed greened up resized.jpg (103.04 KiB) Viewed 38284 times
We will be restoring the stream bed to down near the dam this year if all goes according to plan while working on the dam removal permits. The entire lake bed will be planted later this fall with native trees and shrubs ahead of the removal in spring '19.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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Twism86
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Twism86 » Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:47 pm

Well that grew in fast!
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Genius built the atom bomb. Genius topples nations."

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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by martalus » Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:50 am

How is this place looking 18 months+ after restoration? Are the brookies making use of the area to spawn?

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lightenup
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by lightenup » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:10 am

martalus wrote:
Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:50 am
How is this place looking 18 months+ after restoration? Are the brookies making use of the area to spawn?
Though I fish the lower parts in G.G. I haven't seen a wild fish in there since last year.

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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by Rusty Spinner » Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:58 am

Quick update since this is an old thread: we are in the middle of permitting and plan to remove the dam itself which remains intact and wide open later this summer. No brook trout or other fish can yet swim upstream until that dam is removed, but the former 7 acre lake was fully drained 2 1/2 years ago, so the water is cooler flowing downstream of this structure. Our initial plantings are doing well and I even saw a nesting pair of wood ducks in one of my 3 wood duck nesting boxes.
IMG_0122 (002).jpg
IMG_0122 (002).jpg (454.31 KiB) Viewed 28766 times
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NJAngler
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by NJAngler » Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:22 pm

I've caught very native brook trout in SRC. Most were around where Rocky Run joins in GG. I have fished it up to the Crystal Springs property where most of it originates. Up there SRC flows in between a series of spring fed ponds with C&R bass fishing. Beavers have hit that area hard often damming up SRC. Wild trout don't seem to appear until the first Anthony Rd crossing. After that its miles of mostly posted water until you get to Glen Gardner. Used to be more stocking points for access but they to have disappeared along with access. It really is a nice looking stream but like many wild trout streams in north jersey, the closest you can get to them is sitting in your car. There's about 6+ miles above GG of which only about 0.5 miles is open to fishing. Access to such streams has and will always be an issue.

brookie222
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Re: Spruce Run Creek dam removal for native brook trout

Post by brookie222 » Sun Dec 06, 2020 5:21 pm

The quarry in Glen Gardner is applying for a change of use to their permit, in order to accept, store and use aggregate. In the past, there have been problems with this quarry and discharge by accident into lower Spruce Run, requiring substantial remediation.

There is a Zoom hearing Tuesday night on the application for change of use. If you search, you can find the info here.

https://www.njpublicnotices.com/

It would be a shame to have this stream damaged yet again.

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