Pa. Fish & Boat Commission
Wco Report for Erie County by Wco John W. BowserWalnut Creek Project... Has been a major success story which has only been
heightened by the low water conditions. The largest project of its kind by
the Pa. Fish & Boat Commission in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife,
Sportsmen Clubs, Local Businesses... it shows how a cooperative effort will
accomplish a lot.
The project was bid out at $9,999.00 for the major earthmoving & excavation
which the PFBC was able to cover. Permits (even the Fish & Boat Commission
have to get these to dig in a stream) required the excavated stone be removed
from the area which added an additional $1000.00 .... stream enhancement work
to improve the fish habitat, grading, & hydro seeding monies were generated
by the following: Elk Creek Sports Store, Poor Richards, BAC Bait, Pa
Steelhead Association, SONS of Lake Erie, 3CU Trout Club, Elk Valley
Sportsmen Club, Jim Rutkowski, Lakeshore Service Gulf Station, ErieNet Inc.,
& Teresa's Deli (Lakeshore).
These clubs & businesses should be thanked by anglers for providing support
on short notice to make this project a "completed" one. Photos of the
project & more details are available on the Pa. Fish Commission website. My
personal thanks to all those who helped out and to Chivers Construction for
their extra efforts put forth in completing this in time for the steelhead
run. Steelhead Run Status ... (as of 9/29/99) - The habitat improvement project at
Walnut Creek has helped tremendously. An inch of rain fell on 9/20 but it
seems that only Walnut Creek watershed received any of it. Fish came into
the creek and went to just above the chutes upstream of the Manchester Hole.
The best fishing currently is at Walnut at the access area with some of the
new holes holding nice numbers of trout and at Avonia Beach/ Trout Run
shoreline.
Elk Creek has a fair number being caught in the lower portions from just
below the boat ramp to the mouth... none were observed above Route 5. Patrols
found no fish yet in the East side tributaries, or Crooked & Raccoon Creeks.
Best bet for those interested in fishing any of these is to watch the weather
reports for at least 1 inch of rainfall to hit the area. That should produce
some fish into these streams. Reminder on regulations.... a quick overview of area regulations now in
effect.
... trout/salmon size limit is 15" with 3 fish limit
... between 10 pm & 5 am: you have to be north of Rt. 5 on the west
side, 50 yards from the mouths of Trout Run & Godfrey Run, cannot fish any of
the east side tribs.
.... fires are not permitted on lands without landowner permission (this
includes beaches)
.... it is illegal to park on bridges or with tires on the roadway
.... disposal of fish entrails along many sections of streams, access
areas, or adjacent lands may be a littering violation (use common sense) -
remember the thousands of fish caught here and the effect it would have if
they were all cleaned in just a few areas. Carry a plastic bag & dispose of
entrails properly.
.... sale of fish eggs or skein taken from PA fish is illegal
.... foul hooked fish must be immediately released
.... anglers at Walnut Access MUST NOT allow lines to interfere with boat
traffic Help needed... your assistance is needed in contacting legislators to voice
support for "GROWING GREENER PLUS" This is a legislative initiative which
would send money to the Pa Fish & Boat Commission as well as the PGC & DCNR.
This money gets back directly to sportsmen & outdoors men by permitting
projects to be completed & necessary maintenance to be performed. I will
give you a short version of this... The Pa Fish & Boat Commission has 65
million dollars of work that needs to be done on dams, hatcheries, and access
areas. It is only currently permitted to spend 1.5 million/year to address
these needs. Without this money coming in from the Growing Greener Plus
Program, there are only a couple things that can occur. Either certain
accesses & dams will have to be permitted to deteriorate to the point of
being shut down or fishing lakes drained or the money will have to come from
somewhere else. I know how tight the PFBC watches their money and this
program is critical to maintaining the current levels of service. All you
have to do is let your legislator know that you are in favor of this
initiative by calling or writing. More detailed information is available on
the Pa Fish & Boat Commission website or by calling PFBC/ Harrisburg and
asking for Joe Greene. Your help is appreciated. STOP SIGNS AT WALNUT ACCESS... mean what they say... STOP!! - with the
increase foot traffic brought by the placement of the habitat improvement
project... it is more important than ever to obey these signs at the entrance
to the access area. The most often heard excuse is that the driver was
looking over the bank at the creek and never saw the sign. That means they
wouldn't have seen the child that ran to the car for something or the husband
& wife out for a stroll, or the neighboring landowner walking their dog.
Think of the pain that a car/pedestrian accident would cause not only the
victim but the driver in lawsuits, fines, insurance rate increases. Officers
will be enforcing this violation...so fair warning. Fishing should be fun &
safe!! REPORTING A VIOLATION... is the most effective way to protect the resource.
If the office at Walnut Creek is open, it is the most effective contact point
for the Erie area. Their number is 833-2464. The Northwest Region Office is
814-337-0444. If not successful at those numbers, Wco Bowser can be reached
at either his office at 774-0928 or on his cellphone at 881-5657.
|