Yellow Breeches section closed for stream work

[afishinado]

My understanding is the Yellow Breeches from the stone bridge thru Allenberry will be closed while stream work is being done. I read this is to be the case until sometime in March. Hopefully others from the area can give more details about the work being done and the closing of the stream.

 

[joebamboo]

The work being done will not bode well for that section of the Breeches. A golf cart roadway is planned from the bridge down to Allenberry. Rumor has it that part of the "Stream Improvement" includes the removal of the damn at Allenberry. Can't imagine the impact that will have for both the deep water above the damn as well as the water below it. No one knows exactly what stream improvements will be made in between those two areas.

 

[DaveKile]

Wo the removal of the damn would be a huge change. How long is that stretch behind the damn do you think?

 

[joebamboo]

Probably a good quarter mile or more. Imagine all the silt that has been accumulating behind that damn for many many years. Think it will impact the echo system much??????

 

[tomgamber]

There will obviously be immediate impact. But I've seen bigger dams breached; one large one unintentionally. Usually a lot of heavy metal deposits in the silt. The one I remember should have been way more impactful than the one on the Breeches as it collected 100 years of mining waste in that build up. There was a devastating fish kill. These were nearly all wild fish, mind you. But over time, the fish came back the water quality came back and bugs came back. Pretty sure the Breeches doesn't have the kind of spring run-off that this area does so it will take much longer and probably need a lot of human help. But its a smaller project as well. In the long run, the stream will be better for it whether any of us are still around to enjoy it.

 

[afishinado]

From what I read, the dam will be breached to allow the stream work to be done and later be rebuilt, to some degree anyway.

The water above the dam at Allenberry was where I began to delve into fishing midges a long time ago. I read Ed Koch's book on midges, tied up a bunch and headed down to the YB to fish them. The pool above the dam is to this day is the best place I know to consistently see trout rising to midges.....just about 365. Hopefully they will make stream improvements that actually enhance the stream and improve the habitat for wild trout making the stretch a better place to fish for all. Only time will tell.

 

[afishinado]

I found this on FB >

 

[joebamboo]

Those same "structures" were installed in The Run. Trout were plentiful and held in the Run prior to their installation,. One would be lucky to find one today. Shortly after stocking, the trout are gone. Messing with Mother Nature is not always a good thing.

 

[Bamboozle]

Considering the Yellow Breeches from the Run to and just below Allenberry is private property and we can still fish there after the change in ownership, I'll consider myself lucky and glad something is being done in the name of improving trout habitat and wait to see what happens...

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I'm interested to see what is done, I honestly liked the stretch below the run just before it started to become a pool as opposed to just above the dam. I always liked to fish down the run and cross the creek where it ran in and fish the next 150 yards along the bank.

 

[troutbert]

I hope someone will have before and after photos.

 

[huntfish]

Any idea on how long this project is going to take?

 

[afishinado]

Any idea on how long this project is going to take?

I read the work is expect to last until around March 1st. I guess it really depends how the work goes and if the weather permits.

 

[lestrout]

Those same "structures" were installed in The Run. Trout were plentiful and held in the Run prior to their installation,. One would be lucky to find one today. Shortly after stocking, the trout are gone. Messing with Mother Nature is not always a good thing.

Yo joeb - I've observed the same pop decline and lack of retention, but I've attributed them to the disruptive removal of "weeds" in Children's Lake. The immediate effect was to flush a lot of grit and gravel into The Run, shallowing out a lot of good holding water. The long term effect is less food flushing out of the Lake. All those "weeds" provided good homes for scuds, cress bugs and insects. Not helping things is the greatly reduced water flow and level in The Run, making much of it less hospitable habitat for the trouts, especially the larger and very visible stockies. I'm thinking more of the Lake outflow now runs out into the channel by the swimming pool.

 

[joebamboo]

Les, you are correct, the continuous draining of the lake has had a tremendous negative impact on the run. However, the decline immediately began upon the installation of the diverters in the lower section of the run. Currently there is nothing wrong with the Catch and Release section of the Breeches. I as well as many others see no reason to upset the current echo system. There is very little if any "wild trout" in that section. The stockies seem to adapt quite well, providing many great fishing opportunities.

 

[afishinado]

Les, you are correct, the continuous draining of the lake has had a tremendous negative impact on the run. However, the decline immediately began upon the installation of the diverters in the lower section of the run. Currently there is nothing wrong with the Catch and Release section of the Breeches. I as well as many others see no reason to upset the current echo system. There is very little if any "wild trout" in that section. The stockies seem to adapt quite well, providing many great fishing opportunities.

The YB has a high population of wild trout in may sections right now (Class A in the opinion of many anglers). I believe the highlighted sentence above is the very reason why stream enhancement work is being done in that section of stream.

 

[Bamboozle]

What is puzzling to me is who is doing the work and more importantly, who is paying for it as this is private property.

Unless there is an agreement or easement in place to allow public access in exchange for stocking and the stream work (IF public funds are being used), what's to prevent closure of this section at some point in the future AFTER the work is done?

I dig the Breeches as much as the next guy (even though this is my least favorite stretch) however, I would be 100% against using public funds for stream enhancement (especially since it is hardly a Class A stretch) if there is no guarantee that in the future it isn’t for the exclusive benefit of a private resort.

If government funds are being used, I'd like to get in line for some to improve the Class A stream section that runs through MY property!

 

[troutbert]

Stream habitat work paid for by government funds is commonly done on closed, private property.

 

[joebamboo]

The work is being paid for by the owner of Allenberry. To the best of my knowledge no other funding is being used for this project. The owner has many plans to changes at Allenberry including the demolition of the playhouse and construction of townhomes. Bottom line, it appears to be a future Orvis endorsed fly fishing destination. If that should be the case, the state should discontinue stocking that section. Let the owner provide the fish for his clients. Much of the information is confusing and unverified,.

 

[krayfish2]

I'm guessing that this is the precursor to that section being closed and turned into spruce creek type of operation. Fill it with trophy pellet heads for the patrons of Allenby and close it to the public.