Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

[montcotrout]

I recently fished in Lorimer Park and noticed how much clearer and more wild the Pennypack is there than further downstream. I know there has been major conservation efforts via the P.E.R.T. and have read the articles about the about their efforts to restore buffers and mitigate excess browsing by deer. Is there anything out there about effects on the aquatic ecosystem? Any invertebrate data or species assessments? I'm curious to see if there has been a measurable benefit to the fishery at this point after seeing success in places like Aquetong.

 

[lars]

the trust does monitor water quality and does aquatic insect studies.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

The Pennypack ain't no Aquetong 🙂 The local TU do some work there, but it is degraded and basically a club-stocked, put and take fishery. It is a freestoner that probably hits 80 F each summer.

 

[lars]

Agreed, they work with what they have tho.

 

[JeffP]

The Pennypack ain't no Aquetong 🙂 The local TU do some work there, but it is degraded and basically a club-stocked, put and take fishery. It is a freestoner that probably hits 80 F each summer.

Penns hits 80! 🙂

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Penns hits 80! 🙂

The Penny must hit 90 then... Kidding.

Any way you cut it, it's still a warmwater fishery, so the work is just for the stockies and the retirees that love them in my opinion, and this is coming from someone who pays dues to the chapter.... I have not seen bass fishing improve in that area as it's clean up, whereas the Wissy in Philly has a viable smallie population, and is also in SEPA and gets no love from any TU chapters that I am aware of. A lot of work done on Stony in N-town by another group too, and that's another warmwater fishery that I can't foresee carrying any trouts into the future.

 

[montcotrout]

Aquetong was a poor comparison to pick since that is a cold, spring fed creek. Not sure if any of it's feeders are spring creeks but growing up in Bucks I never remember anything but sunnies and chubs in most small creeks. I'm more so curious about just the impact on the fishery in general. Saw a decent smallmouth in Lorimer and was curious if any data showed a benefit to aquatic ecosystem.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Sorry, I was being a wiseass a little.... There are a few creeks supporting wild fish in Bucks and they have springs feeding them in places. Posting is the biggest issue with access to most of them. There is a chance that some of the work done on the Pennypack in the Trust and above might help bass and other warmwater fish in Lorimer. It's just that the creek keeps getting wider and sandier over time.

 

[JeffP]

My cousin has a little stream running through his back yard in Little Britain. It looks so trouty. A couple hundred years ago, I am sure it was. I guess its a trib of the Neshaminy.

 

[montcotrout]

Sorry, I was being a wiseass a little.... There are a few creeks supporting wild fish in Bucks and they have springs feeding them in places. Posting is the biggest issue with access to most of them. There is a chance that some of the work done on the Pennypack in the Trust and above might help bass and other warmwater fish in Lorimer. It's just that the creek keeps getting wider and sandier over time.

Not how I took it at all. I know that section occasionally gets trout in the classroom put in there, but since it's a stocked trout water in SEPA, I just assumed they were all more or less being put to death anyway. And yeah the creek kind of gets screwed over by the parks departments in Philly and Montco. Some of the downed trees that provided structure in the past were removed. There was a great one right by the bridge on Welsh that made a pool at the end of a riffle that held trout well. Took my brother there to teach him casting and it was much shallower following the removal.

Would love to see the stream better maintained so it doesn't end up like the Neshaminy. That creek, in my experience has very poor habit and only the occasional spot that holds fish.

 

[5alp]

Saw at least a 15" smallie in the trust last summer, pulled a bugger by him but he knew better. There are some ~12" largemouth in there along with more sunnies than you'll ever need. Pulled a bullhead out of there as well. Never fished it for trout but there are quite a lot of fish in there, worth checking out in the dog days.