big rocks, trees, and stumps that fell
into the river provided cover and
shelter for the trout.”
To address the issue, a coalition of
local, state, and federal agencies, the
Batten Kill Watershed Alliance and
other concerned groups launched the
Trout Habitat Restoration project, an
effort to improve the trouts’ living
conditions, to protect the banks from
erosion, and to educate landown-
ers about the need to save the trees.
They began by installing man-made
habitats in the river for the
trout—structures made of wood and
stone that would provide the cover
and shelter lacking in the river.
“The complex wood structures
created many separate spaces for
different-size adult trout to use
without engaging in territorial
competition,” Browning said.
In other words, the medium-size
trout had places to hide so they didn’t
become dinner for the big trout. And
in every area of the river where work
was done, the goal was to make the
structures look as natural as possible.
“We’ve done in the neighbohood
of 30 to 40 different projects in
different areas of the river, and we
could do into the hundreds,” biologist
Carl Schwartz said. “But when all is
said and done, we want it to look as
though we were never there.”
The restoration efforts have shown
impressive success. Before the work
was done, the Vermont Fish &
Wildlife Department did a fish
population count in the upper 700
feet of the river in the West Arlington
project area.
Only three adult fish and seven young
were found. Once the work was com-
pleted last September, the agency
did another fish population count
and found some 76 adult fish and 60
young. “This is an astonishing result,”
Browning said.
“It confirms again the hypothesis that
the shortage of cover and shelter has
been a limiting factor on the productivity of the
trout fishery.”
Fly-fishing guide Ray Berumen of the Taconic
Guide Service in Manchester has seen the success
firsthand. “In the spots where they’ve done a lot of
conservation work the fishing is incredibly better,”
he said. “Absolutely, 100 percent.”
Convinced that they found a solution to the declin-
ing trout population, advocates are now trying to
educate the public and private landowners along
the river about the need to save the trout. Accord-
ing to Lee Simard, a fish biologist with the Vermont
Fish & Wildlife Department, if the public will help
with conservation efforts there may not be a need
for additional projects, which typically include at
least 20 wood-and-stone structures and can cost
upward of $50,000 each. “Right now we’re focused
on promoting good management of the land along
the river and we’ve invited other organizations and
community members to share that message,” he
said. Because most of the land along the river is
privately owned it will be up to the landowners to
preserve the trees and vegetation along the banks
that prevent erosion and to allow trees and branch-
es that fall into the water to stay there. That said, it
does not mean there can’t be some paths to the river
or spots to take in the view.
“It’s a balancing act,” Simard said. “But what we’re
trying to discourage is mowing everything right up
to the edge of the riverbanks. Although some peo-
ple think it looks nice, it is a detriment to the
river itself.”
If private landowners can be convinced to plant
additional trees and to preserve most of the
vegetation along the banks, Simard is convinced
that, given time, the Battenkill will recapture its
reputation as one of the top fly-fishing spots in the
country.
“We’ve seen that the river is capable of self-sus-
taining the trout fishery,” he said. “And in the ar-
eas where we’ve done this work, the population has
come back. We’ve heard from a lot of anglers that
they’re noticing it as well, and the word is getting
out.” And for the communities along the river, that
is a win-win. “I think people understand the ser-
vice that a good, healthy ecosystem can provide,”
Michael Cooperman said. “Fishermen will come
and stay in the hotels, eat in the restaurants, shop in
the shops. The riverfront property will increase in
value. A good trout stream is good for the regional
economy. A good, healthy trout fishery is money in
the bank.”
“There were deep-pool
habitats that would hold
a few big fish and ripple
habitats that would hold
some of the small fingerling-size
fish, but no real habitat
for the in-between stages,”
– Carl Schwartz
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
“Trout like a river bottom
with big rocks because
the insects that they
like to eat will live
in all the nooks and
crannies. When you
have an eroding bank,
it’s dumping dirt into
the river, and all those
nooks and crannies fill
up and the river bottom
looks like a paved road.
You lose the insect
population, the fish
have no food, and so
the river will support
less fish.”
– Michael Cooperman
Moore Center for
Science Conservation
International
“We’ve seen that the river is
capable of self-sustaining the
trout fishery. And in the areas
where we’ve done this work,
the population has come back.
We’ve heard from a lot of
anglers that they’re noticing
it as well, and the word is
getting out.”
– Lee Simard
Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Department
The
ORVIS
Company
Is a proud partner
of the
THE BATTEN KILL
WATERSHED
ALLIANCE
For more information go to
battenkillalliance.org
vtfishandwildlife.com.
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VTMAG.com
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