May 2020
CRTU members, partners, supporters, friends;
Hopefully, you are all healthy, adapting to the changes that have erupted in all our lives, and getting to do some fishing.
Today, May 13, would normally be our monthly meeting date. This is the second consecutive meeting we’ve missed, owing to the pandemic. But it is important that we remain connected to the extent we can, and that we share developments related to CRTU’s mission.
CRTU members continue to monitor and update the website and facebook page and respond to the frequent email contacts we receive there.
Since the last chapter update, we have been able to place a limited amount of limestone sand in the Glade Run headwaters. It took us a couple of weeks to verify that our project was considered an “essential enterprise.” Then, as we arranged delivery of the material, rain fell almost daily. Rain complicates delivery and placement of our alkaline material because the roads to our treatment sites are difficult for large trucks, especially on slick mud.
Normally, we order 10 or 11 loads of the limestone sand (app. 220-250 tons). We ordered only eight loads this time because the road to our most remote treatment site on Little Piney tributary has become entirely impassable for large trucks, even in dry weather. However, there was a considerable amount of sand remaining at that site, and we asked the Game Commission land management personnel to push that material into the stream for us with their front-end loader, which they did. So, the Little Piney trib to Glade Run/Dunbar Creek/Youghiogheny River did receive some acid-remediation benefit this spring.
We planned to place five of the eight ordered loads on Glade Run main stem, and three in the Big Piney tributary. On April 28, we succeeded at Big Piney, with three loads in place. We also placed one load in the main steam. However, it was raining steadily, and the drivers did not want to return with their second load that day. We must respect their judgement on that because if we insisted, and they were to get stuck in such a remote place, we’d undoubtedly get the bill for the wrecker needed to free them.
That put us “up against” the spring turkey season. Since our project is on State Game Lands, and the Game Commission land management staff is such a helpful partner to us, we do not wish to disturb turkey hunters with our project and instigate complaints to the Game Commission.
We consulted with the Game Commission personnel, and were told we could go ahead with completing the delivery of the remaining four loads, but with the request that we do so in the afternoon hours, when spring turkey hunting is closed in the early part of the season (until May 18).
However, by that time, much construction work was re-opening in the state, and our material supplier was so overwhelmed with orders that they could not arrange a “custom” delivery of our material at a specified time. As a result, the delivery of the last four loads of limestone sand is “on hold” until after the turkey season closes May 30.
The CRTU Coldwater Committee remains active and is currently arranging a virtual meeting with American Rivers to discuss future improvements to habitat and fish-passage on Dunbar Creek.
Unfortunately, our chapter’s active schedule of educational and public-outreach efforts—like Trout in the Classroom educational releases, children’s fishing experiences, veteran’s fishing day are more difficult to continue under current circumstances. CRTU will, however, resume these critically important functions at the earliest possible time.
Trout in the Classroom does remain active, however, in a virtual sense with updates summarized and reported elsewhere on our website (see TIC).
We also remain in frequent communication with Trout Unlimited regional and national staff in the role of advocate for sound natural resource conservation policy on the state and national levels. CRTU recently contacted state Senator Stefano and Reps. Dowling and Warner to make sure they understand that our Growing Greener grants, and our various funding streams through county conservation districts end up benefitting local/regional private businesses and their workers, and that clean streams are vital to our region’s tourism- and outdoor-recreation-strengthened economy.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of CRTU. We will continue to send updates until we can meet again in the productive way we have for so long.
Thank you,
Ben Moyer
President
Chestnut Ridge Chapter, Trout Unlimited
