Fall 2011 BBANKNOTEANKNOTESS VALLEY FORGE TROUT UNLIMITED Once Upon a Time in the West Inside this issue: Bob Ballantyne to discuss efforts to preserve Montana’s native trout populations ournalist, writer and conservationist throat trout—the famous Yellowstone Prez Notes 1 J Bob Ballantyne will be our featured cutthroats and the West Slope cut- speaker at the September 8th General throats—and grayling. So join us on Environmental Update 3 Meeting at the Fairfield Inn, Lionville. 9/8 to learn more about how these ef- forts are conducted Bob will be presenting and how chemistry, Owens Living Waters 4 a program on native biology, and geology fish conservation plans combine to prepare Editors Journal 5 for Montana. Fisheries waters for the introduc- biologists with the Na- tion of pure popula- Names, Numbers & Email 11 tional Park Service in tions of the fish spe- Yellowstone National cies, and how history Park have embarked on has played unplanned ambitious efforts to roles in these efforts. Points of interest: Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout preserve genetically pure populations of several species of native fish in some park waters. These Owen takes an original VFTU Board of Directors · species include two subspecies of cut- board member on a tour NOTES FROM THE PREZ of our recent projects · El Cheapo makes peace with hat a year to install air condi- Last year we were spending a relaxing a soft hackle guru W tioning in the old homestead. hot day in the summer lounging in the · Ken Weiler’s trout tale is I just wish we could do the same for Manatawny Creek at my daughter’s truly a whopper all of our neighboring streams. Valley place in Amity Township. The four of Creek is the only one in the area that us found comfortable pockets mid- · Our editor tells a story of has sufficient spring input as well as stream to submerge most of our bod- cane rods and chance being heavily shaded to keep the tem- ies in to cool off and enjoy a beverage encounters perature within safe limits for trout. or two. Well, that water that was so · Tickets for the Fall Raffle will That safe temperature is also probably refreshing for us wasn’t making it for be available at the due in large part to the cold water in- the trout. As we left the stream we 9/8 General Meeting. put from the Atwater Lake (old Warner noted two trout, a brown and a rain- Quarry). But as we continue to add bow, huddled in a little pocket at the impervious surface (roads, parking lots side of the stream. I can only assume and roofs) without getting the rain wa- that there was a little cold water seep ter back in the ground, how long can entering that pocket. It is a shame. Protecting and Enhancing those springs run? How long can they Those trout probably didn’t last until Chester County Trout Streams supply cool, clean water so that we the next weekend. The Manatawny for more than 30 Years can enjoy trout in Valley Creek? (Continued on page 2) PREZ NOTES (Continued from page 1) has great bugs but it just gets too hot like most all Donegal TU in the News our other streams. ishing Creek is a small trout stream with a Election Time F population of wild brown trout in the south- The coming of Fall means a couple of things to me. western corner of Lancaster County. The stream had First is that the September General Meeting will be become eroded and widened where it passes when we elect board members and officers for the through the Valley Lea Riding Club's property. coming term. There are no surprises this year that I With a generous grant from Exelon Corporation, am aware of. I expect to continue moving forward Donegal TU teamed up with Valley Lea and the PA with our current board and officers although there Fish & Boat Commission to restore the banks and can always be nominations from the floor. install valuable fish habitat in June of 2010. Second is the Fall Fund Raiser. This year we have In July 2011, DTU partnered with Lancaster County opted to do a more traditional style of raffle for the Conservancy, Fishing Creek Watershed Association, Clean Streams Raffle. This will be very similar to the Drumore Township, Flyway Construction and the PA one we do for the Trout Show. We are going to have Fish & Boat Commission to address two sites on the tickets printed with the prizes listed on the ticket and Conservancy land with terrible erosion problems. the price will be $5 per ticket or a book of five tickets With the help of some local college students, the job for $20. All of the prizes will be valued over $100. A was completed in two days. book of tickets will be sent to every member. The To see a slide show and video on the Fishing Creek drawing for the prizes will be held at the December stream restoration project go to: General Meeting. www.donegaltu.org/fishing_creek.html National TU has mandated that we update our by- laws, even though we just did this a couple of years ago. National is looking to have all chapters have bylaws that are equivalent to a national standard. This is no small task. I believe that I have integrated our language with their language and it will be going out to our board and officers to review. Then we shall send it on to our lawyers to assure that it Contact. It was supposed to have been a time saver meets Pennsylvania law. Then we send it to National for me but as yet I am still in the learning curve. to make sure that they OK with all the changes. And Also, with being away nearly the whole month of Au- then finally we get to vote on it. That sounds like gust without easy internet service the next e- into the New Year to me. newsletter won’t happen until September. I am see- ing using the e-newsletter for such things as sched- E-newsletter Update uling work days and other events and time sensitive All of you whose emails I have should have received announcements. You won’t be inundated I promise – a spiffy new email newsletter in July. This was my remember who has to produce these first attempt at using a new service called Constant things. If you wish to get on the email VFTU GENERAL MEETINGS mailing list you can do so from our web- site www.ValleyForgeTU.org . Fairfield Inn—Lionville Just north of Exton on Rt. 100 General Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month Pete Goodman 7:30 PM September through May WWW.VALLEYFORGETU.ORG FALL 2011 2 ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE Projects, Progress and Happenings in the Valley Creek Watershed ave you tried to go from point A to point B re- new detention basin on H cently? There seems to be road work every- the north side of 202 at where. If it is not a road widening then it is a resurfac- Little Valley. If you note ing or a new bridge. You cannot get there from here. anything suspicious please Some people are building new homes, some are add- call the proper authorities ing tennis courts, some are getting waivers to exceed and us as well. impervious limits provided for in zoning ordinances and The Marcellus Coalition is some engineer was heard to say, “we are infiltrating slugging along. For every the 100 year storm” to a zoning hearing board. step forward the foes of Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is marching ahead Fracking make it seems in our area. The construction of the Slip Ramps at the opposition makes ten Route 29 is well underway. The reconfiguring of the going the other direction. landscape is more dramatic in real life than the plans This is going to be a gut ever were. It is a huge project. wrenching long dirty fight that we have everything The plans to widen the Turnpike are moving through to lose and only a couple final design and the Commission appears to not be of years of potential prosperity for a few to win. As willing to modify much of anything at this point. They Owen Owens says, “It is cause to despair!” met with a neighbors group down slope of basin 2A but from the notes that I saw from the meeting they Friends of Valley Creek, a Chesterbrook based organi- appeared adamant in their resolve to locate that basin zation that has been spearheaded by the chapter in where it is sited. The last target that I heard for the the names of Owen Owens and Chuck Cutshall, is get- submission of a NPDES storm water permit application ting some momentum. An invasive removal day is be- was September 2011. Once that hits then we have our ing planned with the help of Kris Heister, Natural Re- work cut out for us. sources Manager, of Valley Forge National Historical Park. The target for the invasive removal is the ripar- The Route 202 widening is underway as everyone ian area along Wilson Run (tributary to Valley Creek must be aware. This is even a bigger impact than the that flows along Wilson Road). Turnpike since it impacts both major tributaries of Val- ley. Just before I left the area I notice Valley Creek National Public Lands Day will be on Saturday, Sep- rd was off color in the tember 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park.