Fish Advisory Council Inland Fisheries Update of 9/20/07

Inland Fish Management & Fish Culture:

• Completed an extensive 2007 stream electrofishing survey. A total 165 sites on 110 streams were sampled. Approximately 12 of these streams were sampled for the Habitat Enhancement and Conservation program, another 30 streams were for sampled for Water Bureau needs, and approximately 20 were sampled for the Stream Monitoring project.
• Preliminary electrofishing results suggest that fish populations in many of the streams were impaired by this summer’s (2007) drought-like conditions, which began as early as July in some parts of the state and have continued through mid-September. Though there have been two minor rain events in September, these have not been significant enough to raise water levels substantially. Recovery of stream fish will continue to be monitored. See page 8 for some additional results.
• Completed collection of pike fingerlings at spawning marshes. Fingerling production was 850 (averaging 3.7 inches in length) at the two Bantam Lake marshes, 4,760 (averaging 4.0 inches) at the two Haddam marshes, and 620 (averaging 5.4 inches) at the Mansfield Hollow Reservoir marsh. The Wyantenock marshes were not used in 2007 due to a planned renovation of outlet structures. Total production was lower than average (about 20,000 fingerlings per year). The fingerlings were stocked as follows: Bantam Lake - 820, Lower Connecticut River - 1,030, Pachaug Pond - 3,730, and Quaddick Reservoir - 620. Winchester Lake and Lake Lillinonah were not stocked this year due to lower than average numbers of fingerlings available. Mansfield hollow Reservoir was not stocked in order to determine the magnitude of any natural reproduction of pike.
• Continued to perform a pilot study on Candlewood Lake in preparation for a full-scale angler survey. Angler counts were made over five summer days to determine relative angler use within four separate arms of Candlewood Lake. This work is required to assign proper proportional sampling effort within each arm. This pilot work has prepared us to conduct the full angler survey, but due to the loss of a staff member assigned to this project, completion of the survey remains problematic.
• Completed the summer holiday stockings of the West Branch Farmington River (West Branch Reservoir to the West Branch TMA upper boundary). A total of 5,000 brown trout, 2,500 prior to July 4th and 2,500 just prior to Labor Day were released.
• Completed the fall trout stocking schedule. A total of 49,000 trout were scheduled to be released into 26 lakes & ponds, and 22 rivers & streams. Areas to be stocked included 11 TMA’s, four Urban Fishing Areas, and nine Trout Parks.. Stocking was scheduled to begin earlier in the season (early September) and will be conducted over a more extended period than in previous years. This earlier start was designed to allow anglers to take advantage of longer days-and more enjoyable weather for fishing. The extended season will facilitate multiple stockings of a number of the more popular areas including the Trout Parks.
• The current extended period of dry weather has affected fall stocking. Due to low flows, the planned beginning of stocking in western CT was delayed until September 13th (several trout parks were stocked earlier). In harder hit eastern CT, stocking of rivers & streams was postponed until September 24th to wait for possible rain events that would bring water levels and temperatures to more suitable levels. Further delays in stocking some rivers & streams are possible, and is likely that some fish originally scheduled for rivers/streams will be redirected to lakes, ponds and Trout Park ponds.
• The 49,000 trout scheduled to be stocked this fall include the typical numbers (≈40,000) of adult rainbow trout. However, the additional 9,000 fish are large brown trout (>12” average). To provide a better quality fish, hatchery staff purposely held some slower growing brown trout from last spring’s cohort through the summer. With additional summer growth, these fish attained trophy size for fall stocking. We intend to continue, and improve upon this practice, so that larger brown trout can be stocked into special management areas (Trout Parks and TMA’s) each fall. Rainbow trout will continue to be stocked into major streams in early fall, and into selected lakes in late fall.

Habitat Conservation and Enhancement:

• Assisted the Town of New Fairfield in sampling aquatic vegetation in Ball Pond to assess the efficacy of triploid grass carp stocked in 2004 and in 2006. Consistent with observations made in the summer of 2006, there should be no additional vegetation management actions implemented in the near future. It is recommended that any requests to stock additional triploid grass carp would be deferred pending the results of the 2008 annual aquatic plant survey. Sampling has been done annually since 1997 when Ball Pond was first stocked with triploid grass carp to control dense and vigorous growth of Eurasian watermilfoil, a non-native invasive aquatic plant. Fish sampling conducted to date by the Inland Fisheries Division’s Lake and Pond Survey has found no evidence that the triploid grass carp introductions have had deleterious effects on Ball Pond’s fish community. Through careful and deliberate stocking based on annual monitoring, triploid grass carp have proven to be an effective tool in managing Eurasian watermilfoil in Ball Pond.
• HCE staff provided guidance in support of two fishing access proposals. As part of a neighborhood improvement project, the City of Bridgeport plans to convert to a recreational fishing pier an intact 120 ft long section of the derelict bridge that once connected to Pleasure Island. The Town of East Lyme plans to build a platform to improve fishing access along the Niantic River waterfront at Cini Park. Staff reviewed the proposals and made a number of recommendations that will facilitate fishing, including railing design guidelines and features that will enable most people, including children and those in wheelchairs, to fish effectively from the platform.
• HCE staff along with a coalition of partners completed the Raymond Brook Dam Removal Project, Hebron. The project involved full removal of the 4 ft high by 20 ft. wide dam along with the restoration of 200 feet of stream channel within the former impoundment. Removal of this barrier opened up more than 16 miles of riverine habitat for diadromous Atlantic salmon and American eel as well as the native riverine fish community.
• Assisted a ConnDOT contractor with the installation of a vortex rock weir in the Poland River at the Route 72 bridge, Plymouth. The rock weir is intended to create deep pool habitat within the river and was required as mitigation for the replacement of the Route 72 bridge.
• Completed riparian plant installation along 1,000 feet of the project area at the Mount Hope River Restoration Project, Ashford. Planting included the installation of 252 bankers dwarf willow and 76 pussy willow within riparian zones along both sides of the Mount Hope River and Bassett Brook. Electric fencing placed along this section of the river now exclude cattle access thereby allowing the restoration of a natural riparian vegetative community.
• Investigated conditions within the Nepaug River, New Hartford along with staff of the Farmington River Watershed Association and Metropolitan District Commission following complaints of excessive sediment deposition. Extensive deposits of sediments (up to a measured depth of 20 inches) were observed at a number of locations along the course of the river. At one location (approximately one-quarter mile in length) the sediments overtopped habitat utilized by the eastern pearlshell mussel, a State listed species. Several hundred dead mussels were observed. The sediment deposits likely resulted from runoff during heavy precipitation in April. A point source or sources for the sediments could not be found.
• Completed and submitted to the Environment Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly a report titled “An Assessment of the Impacts of Commercial and Recreational Fishing and Other Activities to Eelgrass in Connecticut’s Waters and Recommendations for Management.” This multidisciplinary report found that commercial and recreational fishing are not having a significant effect on eelgrass and were likely not responsible for the long-term decline of eelgrass that occurred during the 20th century. The report includes recommendations the agencies can implement to ensure that fishing will not adversely affect eelgrass in the future, and it evaluates other potential sources of impacts to eelgrass and contains recommendations for addressing potential threats. It is available on the DEP website at http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&Q=322718&PM=1

Diadromous Fisheries Restoration:

• Transported 585 American shad from the Holyoke Dam Fishlift on the Connecticut River in Massachusetts to sites in Connecticut to promote shad restoration. Receiving rivers included the Naugatuck, Quinnipiac, Farmington, Shetucket, Quinebaug, and Little Rivers.
• Captured the last of the returning adult Atlantic salmon at the Rainbow Fishway (total of 6) and Leesville Fishway (total of 4). The run was considerably less than that of 2006 when 42 salmon were captured at Rainbow and 11 at Leesville. A total of 134 salmon were counted in the CT River in 2007, down from 214 fish in 2006.
• Implemented repairs and maintenance to a number of fishways across the state including general maintenance to the Rainbow and Leesville fishways, a complete replacement of baffles in the culvert at Latimers Brook, replacement of a flood-damaged baffle at Clarks Pond, replacement of rocks at flood damaged Dorr’s Mill and at culverts at Nod Brook and Sandy Brook, modification of the entrance at Jordan Millpond, repairs to the entrance of Versailles Pond, maintenance in the canal at Moulson Pond, and repair/improvement to the eel pass at Lee’s Pond.
• Continued to work with the Department’s engineering staff, the Department of Public Works, and consulting engineers on an engineering study of the Rainbow Dam Fishway. Macchi Engineering was hired to study the existing fishway.
• Fin-clipped 24,000 sea-run brown trout at the Kensington State Fish Hatchery in preparation of fall stocking in study streams.
• Begun extensive population sampling statewide to assess numbers of Atlantic salmon, sea-run brown trout, American eel, and sea lamprey.

Preliminary 2007 stream survey results:

• West Branch Farmington River TMA- A total of 622 trout were sampled within four standard sample areas. The estimated trout population in the TMA is 2,962 fish. This estimate is probably low due to fluctuating water levels prior to and during sampling. The trout population was dominated by 12-16 inch stocked adult trout. The composition included: 22.5% wild brown trout (140 fish 6 cm-59 cm), about 1% wild brook trout (7 fish) and 7.4% rainbow trout (46 fish). There were many large trout present in the river with 24.8% of the fish sampled being greater than 16 inches and 4 fish in excess of 20 inches. The largest fish observed was a 59 cm (23.25 inch) wild male brown trout. The majority of the larger fish were spring 07-stocked survivor strain browns.
• Additional large trout were sampled while collecting broodstock for the Survivor-strain brown trout program. Over 100 trout greater than 16 inches were handled in the Sparetire, Deadman's and Woodshop pools including several wild female brown trout over 20 inches long. Just over 100 brown trout were selected for use as broodstock during the two days of sampling. These fish will be returned to the river in early December after spawning and reconditioning.
• Housatonic River TMA- Conditions were good for long-term survival of trout that had been stocked in 2006 and 2007. The summer of 2007 was relatively cool, much like the cool summer of 2006. Natural flows also persisted through both years. The total number of brown trout collected in mid August 2007 was relatively good (145), but numbers varied greatly between sampling locations. As for the adult browns that had been marked for study purposes, 25 were 2007-fish (11.2 inches after having been stocked at an average size of 9.8 inches). Another 12 fish were last year's 2006-adults (13.8 inches after having averaged 11.6 inches in summer 2006). The 12 (2006) to 25 (2007) ratio suggests a high annual survival rate for the marked adults. However, numbers of sampled fish are much too low to provide a reliable survival estimate. Still, the ratios of marked fish relative to the number of unmarked fish suggest that our sampling of study fish was representative of all fish at large, and that the survival of adult brown trout was probably high (albeit not exactly 50%). We should be able to get a much clearer picture of survival next year, when three year classes of trout will be present.
• Housatonic Bulls Bridge Trout and Bass Management Area- Sampling indicated an average number of trout present (93 sampled). Wild trout streams- Nearly 50 wild trout streams were among the streams surveyed. Sampling was to determine the relative abundance of wild trout and trout that had been stocked into selected streams as fry or fingerlings. The abundance of wild trout was found to be highly variable from stream to stream. Stocked fry generally survived well with a few exceptions, but streams not stocked with fry still have low abundance of trout, mainly due to the abnormal weather conditions that occurred from summer 2005 through spring 2006.