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Talkin’ Trout

Pennsylvania is home to some of the best trout fishing in the world!  Excited anglers from across the state will soon gear up to fish their favorite spots on during the traditional statewide opening day of trout season.  In celebration of this long awaited highlight of spring, let’s talk trout!

Three different trout species can be found in PA waters – Brook, Brown, and Rainbow. Let’s start by getting to know each of them a little better.

Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

The brook trout is Pennsylvania’s official state fish. It is technically a type of char belonging to the salmon family, Salmonidae.  The brook trout—also called the speckled trout—is a beautifully colored fish with yellow spots over an olive-green back. The spots along the trout’s back are stretched and almost wormlike in shape. Along its sides, the brook trout’s color transitions from olive to orange or red, with scattered red spots bordered by pale blue. Its lower fins are orange or red, each with a white streak and a black streak, and its underside is a milky white. A brook trout usually reaches 9 to 10 inches in length.

They are often found in clean, cool mountain streams and are most active around dawn and dusk. During the day, brook trout may retreat to deeper waters.

These fish are extremely opportunistic and eat a variety of insects, often preferring adult and nymph forms of aquatic insects. They will also eat beetles, ants, and small fish when they are available.

Fun Fact:  The biggest Brook Trout of state record, weighing in at a whopping 7lbs, was caught right here in North Central Pennsylvania, at Fishing Creek in Clinton County!

Brown Trout
(Salmo trutta)

The brown trout is not a native Pennsylvanian, although it is now naturalized and widespread here in the wild.  Brown trout are brownish in overall tone. The back and upper sides are dark-brown to gray-brown, with yellow-brown to silvery lower sides. Large, dark spots are outlined with pale halos on the sides, the back and dorsal fin, with reddish-orange or yellow spots scattered on the sides. The fins are clear, yellow-brown, and unmarked.  Wild Brown Trout in infertile streams may grow only slightly larger than the Brook Trout there. But in more fertile streams Brown Trout that weigh a pound are common. A Brown Trout over 10 pounds is a trophy. Brown Trout may exceed 30 inches in length. The state record is more than 19 pounds.

They may be found in all of the state’s watersheds, from limestone spring creeks, infertile headwaters and swampy outflows to suitable habitat in the larger rivers and reservoir tailwaters.

These fish eat aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish and other crustaceans, and especially fish. The big ones may also eat small mammals (like mice), salamanders, frogs and turtles. Large Browns feed mainly at night, especially during the summer.

Rainbow Trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The rainbow trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains, but was introduced to PA at the turn of the century.  Rainbow trout are gorgeous fish, with coloring and patterns that vary widely depending on habitat, age, and spawning condition. They are torpedo-shaped and generally blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink streak along their sides, white underbelly, and small black spots on their back and fins.  They average about 20 to 30 inches long and around 8 pounds.  The state record is 20 pounds.

They prefer cool, clear rivers, streams, and lakes, though some will leave their freshwater homes and follow a river out to the sea. These migratory adults, called steelheads because they acquire more silvery markings, will spend several years in the ocean, but must return to the stream of their birth to spawn.

Rainbow trout survive on insects, crustaceans, and small fish.

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March Macro Madness Continues

The NCAA College basketball tournament is underway and Macro Madness continues at NPC. We’ve been highlighting different macroinvertebrates on our Facebook page this month, but have really explained how biologists look for macroinvertebrates or collect them.

Biologists use several methods to collect macroinvertebrates. The one we’re going to describe is the D-frame kicknet method because that’s what we have photos of.

Biologists shuffle their feet in the stream for a specified length of time over a specified distance.  A D-shaped net is used to scoop up the materials dislodged by the shuffling and kicking feet. 

The material in the net is transferred to a container, treated with ethanol to preserve it and taken back to the lab for processing.  A random sample will be sorted with all the macroinvertebrates (water insects) grouped by taxa. 

Looking at the sorted sample, an aquatic biologist will consider what taxa are present, those that are tolerant of polluted water, or those that are intolerant of pollution and need clean water?  How many taxa are present?  How many individuals are in each of the taxa?  Comparing the answers to these questions and other will provide a better understanding of how the in-stream restoration work is improving water quality.

Dragonfly Nymphs (Gomphus)

The life stages of a dragonfly are egg to larvae to adult. The dragonfly larvae are also called nymphs.

Dragonfly nymphs live in the streams and creeks and rivers. They need water that is pretty clean.

They are usually a drab color. They have 6 legs, large eyes, and small wing buds on their back.

They breathe through gills kind of like a fish. A dragonfly nymph’s gills are located inside the rectum. They drawing water in and out of their hind end, over the gills, to breathe.

If they forcefully expel the water out, it moves them forward quickly – sort of like jet propulsion.

The lower jaw is scoop like and covers most of the bottom part of the head. Dragonfly nymphs feed by lying-in-wait. They quietly rest on the bottom of the stream or creek, on the substrate or on submerged plants. When a potential meal swims or crawls by, the nymph’s extendable jaws pushes out to snatch and pull in the meal.

Riffle Beetle Larvae (Promoresia)

Like other insects, riffle beetles go through several life stages. In their larval stage, they are

in fairly clean streams and rivers with riffles (no surprise given their name).

Like other animals the riffle beetle larvae molts. It sheds its exoskeleton after a new exoskeleton develops underneath. An exoskeleton can’t stretch as the larvae grows, so when it outgrows an exoskeleton it sheds it. They’ll go through 6 to 8 molts.

Riffle beetle larvae are elongate. You can see the head and all 3 pairs of legs if you look down at them from above. Their antennae and mouthparts are shorter than the head. The larvae have very fine gills that coming out of the tip of the abdomen. These can be pulled in for protection, or pulled in and out to increase oxygen flow.

As larvae they appear to be collector-gatherers and scrapers. They eat algae and other plant material in the water that either grows there or falls in. The larvae are rarely eaten by other invertebrates, but fish do eat them.

Several sources explain the human caused threats to the riffle beetle larvae include lower oxygen concentrations in streams and rivers, increased water temperatures in streams and rivers (water temperatures can go up because the tress along a stream are removed for examples), big changes in the amount of water flowing in a stream, and pollution.

Mayfly nymphs (Epeorus)

Adults mayflies are on the top 5 list of a trout’s favorite foods. The nymphs are found in fast flowing water on either soft or firm creeks bottoms.

They are scrapers or collector-gathers. They eat algae or decaying plant material.

Mayflies are sensitive to pollution. If they’re in a creek you’re probably going to have  good water quality.

One reason they’re a good indicator is because they’re found in a lot of different habitats (soft stream bottoms, hard stream bottoms, in rocks, on plants, etc.). They are also easy to find and there are usually a lot of them.

Mayfly larvae are part of the widely used EPT Index (Ephemeroptera-Plectoptera-Trichoptera). This is a system used to measure water quality. Biologists count the number of different types of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies and those numbers determine where on the scale the water quality falls.

Stonefly nymphs (Leuctra)

Stoneflies are found in most running waters. You can find them in boulder, cobble, water-soaked wood, and leaf packs.

Most species are predators or shredders. The shredders eat decaying plant material.

Stoneflies like clean, cool flowing streams. Most stonefly taxa are sensitive to water pollution.

Like mayflies, the presence of stoneflies is a reliable indicator of excellent water quality. If stoneflies aren’t in a stream, however it doesn’t necessarily mean the waterbody is polluted. Stoneflies have a very specific habitat conditions and it may just mean the habitat isn’t there.

Stonefly larvae are also part of the widely used EPT Index (Ephemeroptera-Plectoptera-Trichoptera) to measure water quality condition. This is a system used to measure water quality. Biologists count the number of different types of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies and those numbers determine where on the scale the water quality falls.

A fun fact, in low oxygen conditions, larvae will do “push-ups” to move water across their gills.

Caddis fly larvae (Pycnopsyche)

Female Caddisflies lay their fertilized eggs directly in water, or just above the water line on plants. When the eggs hatch a worm-like larvae emerges.

The larvae will live underwater for sometimes as long as a year. They use their feathery gills to breathe.

Caddisfly larvae build houses for themselves. They are general a “straw” shape with the larvae inside the hole. They will carey the house with them everywhere they go.

After pupating into their winged adult form, they crawl or float out of the water and fly away. Adults have short life spans (just a month or so).

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Support Access to Creeks and Trail During Raise the Region

You can help work on projects to create more access to creeks and streams and rivers for fishing, paddling and splashing. You can create more access to trails for walking and birding and biking and skiing. Your support of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy during Raise the Region helps land conservation projects, public access projects, and projects to improve streams move ahead. Donate by clicking here.

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March Macro Madness

“March Madness” may refer to college basketball playoffs, but at NPC it’s Macro Madness.

Macroinvertebrates are animals that don’t have a skeleton inside their body and are big enough you can see them without a magnifying glass or microscope.

Macroinvertebrates, often just referred to as “macros,” are one way scientists test water quality. Some macros can only live in clean water, some can live in water with a little pollution, and others can live in water with a lot of pollution.

Examples of macros are mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, scuds, snails, and leeches.

Macros are categorized based on how clean the water must be for them to live there. Some macros are more tolerant of sediment and pollution than others.

Here are some tolerant macros. They can handle living in polluted water, or water that has sediment in it.

Aquatic Earthworms (Oligochaeta)

These worms are pollution tolerant, meaning they can live in polluted water. Their body is soft, cylindrical, and long – like the earthworms you find in your yard or on pavement after a summer rainstorm. The body is divided into many segments (usually 40-200).

Aquatic earthworms have a life span between several weeks to years. They reproduce sexually or by dividing their bodies. Mating usually occurs in the late summer to early fall.

There are about 10 different families of aquatic worms in North America. Aquatic earthworms are just one of the families. They live in lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands.

Aquatic earthworms don’t have suckers (leeches have suckers) or eye spots. They eat a lot of different things. They are detritivores (eat decomposing plant and animal material), algivores (eat algae), and predators.

Some aquatic worms are very tolerant of pollution (long red ones) while others are very pollution sensitive. The presence of high numbers of pollution tolerant worms at a site may indicate polluted conditions.

Midge Larvae (Chironomus)

Midge Larvae are another pollution tolerant species. Midges are small insects that look like mosquitoes, but don’t bite. Midges, like a lot of insects, go through various life stages.

When they are larvae that live in streams and rivers. That are usually on the bottom of the waterway in among the water plants or tree limbs or branches that have fallen in.

Midge larvae are important to many stream and river systems. Because of how much leaf litter and plant material they eat, the larvae help recycle nutrients in these systems.

Midge larvae are also a food source for other animals. Some of the organisms that feed on them include insects, fish, birds, and other aquatic invertebrates. Midge larvae are often most active at night in the dark, this provides some protection from predators.

The 4 life stages a midge experiences are the egg, larvae, pupa, and adult stages. There are stages within some of these stages as well.  During the larvae stage midges go through another 4 stages. The 4 larvae stages are known as ‘instars’, and can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 years.

Leeches (Erpobdella)

Leeches can live in polluted water. They are considered a pollution tolerant taxa.

Leeches are flatter than worms, but not completely flat. They have a slight rounding to their back, but are pretty flat on the bottom.

While some types of leeches have suckers and suck blood, Erpobdella leeches eat invertebrates smaller than they are. They do this by swallowing their food whole.

Leeches are most common in warm areas of the stream or warm streams. Generally this is the shallower areas. If the water isn’t too deep, it’s easier for the sunlight to warm up the water. In shallow areas the stream isn’t usually moving as fast. Leeches like the slower moving water. They’ll use the plants, stones, and sticks for shelter.

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It’s Almost February. Are you feeding birds?

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize February, one of the most difficult months in the United States for wild birds, as National Bird-Feeding Month. During this month, individuals are encouraged to provide food, water, and shelter to help wild birds survive. This assistance benefits the environment by supplementing wild bird’s natural diet of weed seeds and insects. Currently, one third of the U.S. adult population feeds wild birds in their backyards.”
~Senator John Porter of Illinois in 1994

Bird feeders are very popular and a great way to work on your bird identification skills (while the birds are stationary and eating).

While over 20 types of seeds are sold as birdseed you can’t go wrong with the small black-oil sunflower seed. This seed is a favorite of many smaller birds, such as chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice. The seed has a high oil content. This nutritionally important for birds. The seed coat makes it easy for them to crack open.

Some birds, like woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches like suet. Suet is animal fat. Some grocery stores sell it in the meat department, but you can also find suet cakes at hardware stores or feed stores. For suet cakes, the animal fat is melted down and often mixed with bits of fruit or seeds, then molded into a square.

Peanuts are another bird favorite. Blue jay, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, tufted tit-mouse, black-capped chickadee, cardinal, among others are the birds you can expect to see eating peanuts or peanut pieces at your feeder. Something to keep in mind, however, is squirrels also like peanuts. And while we like squirrels, we understand they can create problems.

Cracked corn in your feeder will attract mourning dove, cardinal, American goldfinch, red-bellied woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, downy wood-pecker, hairy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, and others. Again, the squirrel caution comes in, but you should also keep an eye out for signs of deer raiding your corn.

It’s too early for humming birds to be in your yard, but it’s not too early to be thinking about how you can attract them this summer. Plants that hummingbirds are attracted to include: bee balm, cardinal flower. trumpet vine, native columbine, and jewelweed. Starting thinking about how you can include some of these in your summer gardening plans.

You can also use a hummingbird feeder. The feeder is filled with a syrup of one part granulated sugar to four parts water. You’ll need to heat water then add sugar, stirring until it dissolved. Let the mixture cool before filling your feeder.

Clean your feeder at least once a week. There have been fungus outbreaks at feeders that have caused infections in birds.

Hang your feeder in an area that is somewhat shaded. You could suspend it with string from a tree branch or use a homemade post. A nifty tip is to smear petroleum jelly on the string to keep ants out of the feeder.

Enjoy feeding the birds!!

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NPC and the Web of Community Connection

It takes a village…

To conserve the forests, waters, and fields.

Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy is just one strand in the web of local conservation. Without the support of donors like you, a volunteer board, community members, land owners and a long list of partners, NPC would not be what it is: a strong strand in the web of community connection and conservation.

NPC is a committed collaborator and a partner in its ongoing work to conserve the region’s  resources.

Community effort

One of our favorite stories is the acquisition of the Kelly-New Garden land on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in the Sproul State Forest District . This acquisition brought together a host of players who would work together to conserve the land. One of the key players in the partnership with NPC was the community.

The people of rural Pottersdale and West Keating helped make the acquisition possible because of their support.The state forester at that time, Robert “Butch” Davey, began making calls when it was rumored that the land was going up for sale.  The community had accessed the land for hiking, hunting and picnicking for generations and feared private purchase would cut them off from the land they loved.  

Partnerships formed quickly between NPC, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. At a West Keating Township meeting NPC determined the needs of the community. The heirs of the over 4,000 acres agreed to sell the property for conservation. Additionally, contributions came from large foundations, as well as sportsmen’s groups and individual donors. The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded funding through the Keystone Fund and the land was purchased.

In the end, 1,110 acres of new state forest was secured with public access from the river, and 3,330 acres of new elk habitat and hunting ground created as State Game Lands 321.

Maintaining the web of connection

Sometimes projects, like the one above, require a large web of organizations, others a small group of dedicated donors. Every day these groups help  to build relationships such as the one between the PA Game Commission and NPC to extend state game lands through family property donation. NPC’s “matchmaking” skills continue to make conservation projects a reality.

Donations to NPC also make behind the scenes projects like stream restoration partnerships possible. Another strand in the web of conservation, such as planting trees on stream banks, reconnecting streams and flood plains, and creating pollinator habitat for honey bees and butterflies makes this web strong.

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Through ALL of the community connections we make we work to continue building the web of connections and move conservation projects forward and into the future strengthening the web for years to come.

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What’s the best gift you can give?

The gift of the great outdoors! We are promoting REI’s Black Friday event #OptOutside. Instead of spending time indoors shopping, get outdoors and enjoy the bounty of the Pennsylvania wilds making memories and seeking adventure!

It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do just as long as you #OptOutside. And here’s a link to a local trail guide that REI has set up just for you! Seasoned hiker? Click on the difficult terrain. New to hiking, no worries they have you covered! You can pick your location, your activity and your desired level of difficulty. It will even tell you how long your chosen trail will take you to cover. Easy peasy!

Now get outside and connect to the gifts of the great outdoors!

You can help protect the water, land and resources of the region by making a donation to the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy. Donate today and your tax deductible donation will preserve the land for you and future generations to enjoy.

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Biochar, A New Take on an Old Friend in Conservation

“If you could continually turn a lot of organic material into biochar, you could, over time, reverse the history of the last two hundred years.”   Bill McKibben, Professor, Middlebury College

 

What is biochar?

The short answer is charcoal. However, it is the creation of charcoal through a process called pyrolisis,  the slow burning of matter, such as hard wood waste, coconut hulls, or rice hulls under high heat. This charcoal applied to depleted soils increases topsoil nutrients for plant growth. This biochar becomes especially helpful in regions where soils have become depleted or toxic due to run off.   

Creating char is an ancient process found in large deposits in the Amazon Basin dating back at least 2,500 years. In its modern use, biochar not only has the advantage of cleaning soil and water, but also limiting, and perhaps reversing soil or water damage.   

According to the International Biochar Initiative, “biochar can convert agricultural waste into a powerful soil enhancer making soil, especially in at-risk regions, more fertile and thereby boosting food security, discouraging deforestation and preserving crop diversity.  Biochar is a very stable form of carbon and can last 100-1000 years in the soil. For each pound of biochar in the soil, 3 pounds of carbon dioxide are filtered out of the air.”  

Biochar’s Potential

Biochar might not sound like a very exciting term, but for Gary Gilmore, Woodland Stewardship Coordinator of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry, it is something to get excited about, as biochar has the potential to:  

  • Capture toxins and excess nitrogen protecting our waterways and groundwater quality  
  • Create an alternative energy source for generating heat and power, and valuable by-products of synthetic and bio-fuels  
  • Reduce the need for (and use of) fossil-fuels and fossil-fuel based fertilizers  
  •  Turn bio-waste into value-added products while creating jobs  
  •  Isolate CO2 safely for thousands of years  

Not a fertilizer

However, biochar is not a fertilizer, but a “soil amendment,” meaning that added to soil it allows nutrients to remain in the soil over longer periods. The porous nature of the biochar can hold up to 6 times its weight in water and beneficial soil bacteria. Application of biochar to soil creates more sustainable soil management and decreases nutrient loss.   

In addition to the way biochar builds up soil, it also has the capability of binding soil nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This binding prevents nutrients from becoming run off into our waterways. According to the USBI, United States Biochar Initiative, “Biochar also holds gasses; recent research has proven biochar-enriched soils reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (NO2) emissions by 50-80%.”   

As an ancient soil amendment, biochar is gaining traction in the study of soil maintenance around the world. Recently, the impact of this soil amendment has gained a foothold here at home as a part of Penn State’s short courses offered this fall.  As the study of biochar grows, we discover new knowledge about ancient wisdom that can address multiple environmental impacts on a local and global scale.   

 To learn more about what DCNR is doing with Biochar click here.

 

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Water Water Everywhere

If you’ve been in central Pennsylvania, or even parts of eastern Pennsylvania this week, you’ve probably gotten wet. According to Penn State Climatologist Williamsport received 7.52 inches of rain and Selinsgrove received 8.91 inches of rain between July 21 and July 25.

If you look at any of the USGS stream gauges in this region, you’ll see the increase in stream volumes (in some cases the rapid increase in stream volumes) and stream height.

Thankfully we didn’t have any stream restoration projects scheduled for this week. The project certainly wouldn’t have happened, and our schedule would have needed re-worked.

The Watershed Specialists have been out in the rain, checking on projects and talking to landowners. The photos below are from Turtle Creek. Shanon Stamm, Union County Conservation District’s Watershed Specialist, went out to see if any of the landowners were having problems, and reminding them that if the landowner sees any damage to the stream project, they should give her a call.

If you pay attention to the overhead transmission line tower, the trees, and the wooden posts used in the fencing project, you’ll get an idea of how much water is in Turtle Creek, and how much Turtle Creek is out of its normal channel.

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Mosquitoes

It’s summer and bug bites are part of the season for some of us. The northcentral region of Pennsylvania has had several “hits” for West Nile virus. Thankfully, no human cases have been diagnosed.

The West Nile virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses, and some other mammals. Humans get West Nile from the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus  occurs in late summer and early fall in mild zones like Pennsylvania.

West Nile virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected female mosquito.  The mosquitoes get the virus when they bite an infected bird. Crows and jays are the most common birds linked to the virus. But at least 110 other bird species also have the virus.

Most people infected with West Nile virus have only mild, flu-like symptoms lasting a few days. The symptoms usually appear within 3 to 14 days of infection.

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Body aches
  • Skin rash on trunk of body
  • Swollen lymph glands

More severe cases can occur when the virus crosses the blood-brain barrier. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention right away:

  • High fever
  • Neck stiffness
  • Stupor (a state of impaired consciousness, extreme lethargy, and reduced reactivity to outside stimuli)
  • Disorientation
  • Coma
  • Tremors
  • Convulsions
  • Muscle weakness
  • Paralysis

Pennsylvania has developed a comprehensive network covering 40 counties to trap mosquitoes, collect dead birds, and monitor horses and people. The network is housed at DEP and has information and resources available.

The photo shows a West Nile Virus technician setting a mosquito trap. The trap captures mosquitoes so they can be tested for the virus. If the virus is found in the tests, DEP can take any appropriate action.

It’s important that we do what we can to reduce “mosquito breeding areas” near our homes and works. Here are a few things you can do…

  • Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) when you’re outdoors.
  • When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants treated with repellents containing permethrin or DEET since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.
  • Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening. These are peak hours for mosquito bites, especially those mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus.
  • Limit the number of places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs by getting rid of standing water sources from around your home.
  • Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
  • Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers. Check inside and outside your home. Mosquitoes lay eggs near water.