The Crooked River: Characteristics, History, and Fisheries Management Prepared by: James Pellerin Assistant Regional Fisheries Biologist Urban D. Pierce, Jr. Regional Fisheries Biologist (Retired) Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife April 2015 Table of Contents Foreword……………………………………………………………………………… 3 Introduction (UP)……………………………………………………………………… 4 Physical Description (UP)…………………………………………………………….. 6 General………………………………………………………………………… 6 Topography……………………………………………………………………. 6 Bedrock & Surficial Geology…………………………………………………. 7 Soils…………………………………………………………………................ 8 Climate………………………………………………………………………… 9 Drainage & Hydrology………………………………………………………… 9 History ……………………………………………………..………………………….. 11 Past Land & Water Use (UP)……………………………….............................. 11 Present Land & Water Use (UP)………………………………………………. 14 Future Land & Water Use (UP)……………………………………………….. 15 Watershed Protection & Conservation………………………………………… 15 Fisheries Management History………………………………………………………… 17 Fish Stocking………………………………………………………………….. 17 Regulations…………………………………………………….……………… 18 Fisheries: Crooked River………………………………………………………. 19 Fisheries: Sebago Lake………………………………………………………… 22 Fish Passage Obstructions …….……………….……………………………………… 25 Main stem Dams (UP)……………..…………………………………………… 25 Tributary Obstructions (UP)..…………………………………………………… 28 Crooked River Impediment Survey…………………………………………….. 28 Beaver Dams & other Natural Fish Passage Barriers…………………………… 29 Public Access (UP)…………...………………………………………………………… 31 Water Quality…………………………………………………………………………… 32 MDEP Water Quality Classification…………………………………………… 32 Temperature……………………………………………………………………. 34 Dissolved Oxygen……………………………………………………………… 37 pH………………………………………………………………………………. 37 Other Water Quality Parameter………………………………………………… 38 Habitat Quantity & Quality…………………………………………………………….. 39 Main stem………………………………………………………………………. 39 Tributaries………………………………………………………………………. 41 Biological Data - Fish…………………………………………………........................... 43 Fish Species Occurrence & Relative Abundance………………………………. 43 Electrofishing Data……………………………………………………………… 44 Abundance of Juvenile Salmon & Brook Trout………………………… 44 Density of Juvenile Salmon & Brook Trout ...…………………………. 48 Growth Parameters of Juvenile Salmon & Brook Trout ………………. 49 Bolsters Mills Fishtrap Data…………………………………………………….. 52 Total Salmonid Counts………………………………………………….. 52 General Timing of Salmonid Movements……………………………….. 55 Relationship of Temperature & Flows on Salmonid Movement………… 57 Salmonid Growth Parameters…………………………………………… 60 Trapnetting Data………………………………………………………………… 62 Other Biological Data…………………………………………………………………… 65 1 Algae……………………………………………………………………………. 65 Macroinvertebrates……………………………………………………………… 65 Potential Salmon Production Modeling…………………………………………………. 66 Crooked River Redd Survey…………………………………………………………….. 70 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….. 72 Fishery Management Plan for the Crooked River………………………………………. 73 Management Goal…………………………………………….............................. 73 Prioritized Management Objectives…………………………………………….. 73 Management Problems and Strategies………………………………………….. 73 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….. 76 References………………………………………………………………………………. 77 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………… 83-114 2 Foreword This report was originally initiated in 1983 as a Strategic Fisheries Management Plan for the Crooked River in response to the “Maine Rivers Act” of June 17, 1983, and to formalize and document specific objectives and procedures for managing this important fishery resource. Urban D. Pierce, Jr. drafted the initial report, but never finished due to his retirement from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries Wildlife (MDIFW). The long and storied history of the Crooked River, its regional importance, extensive data collection efforts, and its significance to the landlocked salmon fishery of Sebago Lake warranted an update and completion of the report. Portions of the early draft report prepared by Urban Pierce, Jr. are denoted in the table of contents by his initials (UP). Some of these sections are presented largely intact as originally written with only minor edits, whereas other sections have been updated or edited more extensively. Edits, updates, and the remainder of the report were written and compiled by the primary author, James Pellerin. This report serves to document the extent and quality of the Crooked River’s fishery resources, as well as past and present management by the MDIFW. This document also provides a guideline and reference source for the protection and enhancement of this valuable river resource for the future. 3 Introduction This document provides an overview of the Crooked River, its fishery, and sets forth a plan for the management of landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) (also referred to as “salmon”) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). The terms “LLS” and “BKT” are used in some tables and graphs for brevity and refer to landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout, respectively. The Crooked River is the single most important spawning and nursery tributary supporting the wild salmon sport fishery in Sebago Lake. The river has the potential to significantly, if not entirely, sustain Sebago Lake’s salmon fishery with naturally produced fish. Aside from its importance as a spawning and nursery tributary for wild Sebago Lake salmon, the Crooked River also provides substantial recreational angling opportunity as a high quality riverine salmon fishery. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has been instrumental in the restoration of spawning runs of salmon and brook trout to the Crooked River since the 1970’s. Prior to the early 70’s, Sebago Lake salmon had been denied access to nearly all of the spawning and nursery grounds of the Crooked River for nearly 150 years, due to the presence of impassable dams. The obstruction of this major tributary was one of the greatest factors contributing to the decline of wild salmon and brook trout in Sebago Lake. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, two of the three major dams on the lower sections of the river were breached and a fishway was provided at the third. These changes afforded spawning salmonids access to nearly the entire river for the first time in over one and a half centuries. Today, significant numbers of wild salmon and brook trout are again being produced throughout the entire reach of the Crooked River. There are 25 lakes in the Crooked River drainage, some of which are being actively managed for salmon and brook trout. The largest lake in the drainage is Pleasant Lake (1,077 acres) in Casco and Otisfield. There are also several tributary streams feeding into the main stem of the Crooked River. Most of these tributaries are relatively small, and compared to the main stem of the Crooked River support only limited salmon production. However, they are particularly important for brook trout as spawning and nursery habitat and for thermal refuge. Several of the larger tributaries provide salmon spawning and nursery habitat, but production potential for salmon is dwarfed by the main stem. In addition, the Wade Fish Hatchery and Rearing Station operated by MDIFW are located on Mile Brook, and serves as the major salmon rearing facility for southern Maine. The first section of this report includes descriptions of the general characteristics of the drainage. Other sections describe the river’s history, resources, fish species composition, species abundance, habitat quantity and quality, and the fisheries potential of the river. Based on an assessment of this information, the document then identifies MDIFW’s management goals and objectives for the river (the fisheries management plan). Existing and potential problems that could prevent the successful attainment of the goal and objectives are also discussed. Management strategies deemed most appropriate at this time are also explored. The fisheries management plan section of this document is based on the existing habitat potential of the Crooked River to support wild populations of salmon and brook trout. The management plan is not intended to be so rigid as to preclude changes that may be necessary to better manage this river’s resources into the future. For example, we consider the Crooked River 4 to have higher value for its production of wild salmon to Sebago Lake than for the fishing opportunity it provides the angling public, so the rapidly increasing popularity of riverine sport fisheries could necessitate additional fishing restrictions to maintain production goals. Finally, although presented separately in this document, the management plan for the Crooked River is an integral component of the management plan for Sebago Lake (Brautigam and Pellerin 2008), and key management components in this document may also be incorporated into the lake plan. 5 Physical Description General The Crooked River watershed lies within southwestern Maine in south central Oxford County and in north central Cumberland County. It is bordered by the Androscoggin River watershed to the north and east, and portions of the Presumpscot and Saco River watersheds to the south and west. The Crooked River watershed is a sub-watershed of the Presumpscot River basin and is an indirect tributary to Sebago Lake, which has a surface area of approximately 45.6 mi2. The Crooked River originates at Songo Pond in Albany and flows in a southerly direction through the townships of Albany, Waterford, Norway, Harrison, Otisfield, Naples, and Casco before it merges with the Songo River,