Salmon River, Pulaski, NY

ORIGINAL: YankeeAngler

Please be careful,
Water riseing.
Randy
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12/15 ! @6:ooPM.
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As predicted.... ;) ;)

A big part of this shutdown is the lack of local dollars to support cooperative agreements. 70% of the coop costs are borne locally in today's funding schemes, so if there is a USGS gage on the "close" list that impacts you, be sure to speak with your local politicians to let them know how much you appreciate seeing your tax dollars at work, protecting your home and family from the ravages of unpredicted flooding and soil loss. After that, you can mention the ancillary benefits you get as a kayaker or fisherperson, but make sure you make your voice heard to prevent the gutting of the agency and the loss of the valuable information and analysis USGS provides.

!!!!!!!

L13

Sorry to hear about the gauging stations getting yanked offline,

But we are living through some tough times and sacrifices must be shared - including the USGS folks & toyz.

I know that with program redux in Central NY (Ithaca) while I have not heard of anyone getting laid off, a number of folks are hitting retirement age, and there is often no backfill to replace them. If there is a big enough hit to the programs, however, people will be let go, as employment is tied to having the projects to work on. In many cases with the Feds, they move elsewhere where there is an opening. With fracking on the horizon, this is not a good time to be losing groundwater and surface water scientists.

Another USGS Program that could pay big benefits for everyone on this board is the Bioliogical Resources Division work on Atlantic Salmon Restoration, which is set to get kicked up a big notch in the spring-summer of this year with stocking of the SR comparable to what the Canadians have been doing on North shore rivers for a while now. While there have been some comments about competition for spawning sites between Salar and Mykiss, I've heard nothing about reducing numbers of one in favor of the other, maybe because Mykiss are spring spawners (despite the mutants you see spawning in the fall), amd Salar are fall spawners. Big numbers to be put in the SR this coming year, with other tribs under consideration (but why would I bring on the wrath by naming names.) BDR has been talking about this in terms of extension of the fishery so that migratory salmonids should be available in SR from June until late April.

Finally, the baitfish trawl program out in the big pond that is one of the Key Result Measures for health of the Fishery is maintained by USGS out of an office in Oswego, and this is one of the longest running data collection efforts on record, and has been quality assurance audited and indicated to be strong science. If this were to go, DEC would lose valuable information, or have to collect it themselves, and we New Yawkers know how likely it is that additional funding will be available in Andyville for upstate fishery needs (NOT!).

L13

    Govt funding can be troublesome- folk  wants taxation reduced or maintained and  programs  improved or  maintained at present levels- with annual percentage cost increases there is no way  both things can happen without stripping something else-    
     Oh wait that too has a consituancy- aside from tax increases the other funding source is user fees that carry huge outcries from folks actually using the resources related to those fees.
  No simplistic -hey I thought this one up at breakfast and no body will believe how easy it is--answers to fiscal issues occur -especially in times wherein resources  are  sideways  as related costs continue to rise.
     Till the economy significantly improves there will be belt tightening across the board.
     People always come up with examples of 'waste' on stuff far away that does not affect them in favor of stuff that they like- Folks far away are doing that too----
     It is hard to tell folks that things are changing and it isnt gonna be like it was for a while- none of us like to hear that but its the fiscal condition we find ourselves in---
     -In our lifetimes this hasnt happened before and we are all having a tough time adjusting- hope it changes soon--

Dime- that reduction of workforce  by attrition is happening all over both public and private  out of fiscal necessity. Our Highway Dept has half the workforce of a few years ago due to this condition and when we build we have to deal with much reduced manpower within various regulatory State and Fed depts who  give permits for projects- the entire process has slowed often causing  more fiscal and practical woes. It aint gonna stop soon.
 I just got back in from  groundbreaking on a project that was initially supposed to be up and running last year.

Charlie go and get em... sounds like perfect conditions brother
...i'll look forward to your report....

Good stuff Lucky.

The same discussions about "pay as you go" are going on in Pa.

I don't think most folks would begrudge a small user fee for non-hunting activites that utilize state parks and game lands (e.g. - bird watchers, horseback riding, hiking).

But I have no idea how many permits could be sold in either state, or how enforcement would work, or if the impact by such users really leave a mark on Ma Earth - IMO the slobs that leave garbage are the hunters & fishermen.

I have mixed emotions on NY's Atlantic Salmon restoration efforts. Sure, it gives one a warm fuzzy nostalgic feeling that mankind is trying to fix a resource that was previously anihilated by human pig habits. But, from my limited readings on the subject, I think the deck is stacked against it with some big challenges that may not be manageable (food base, trib flows, etc).

Time will tell.

later

For every "rule" in science, there are some exceptions, but the basics are that Atlantics spawn in the fall, rainbows in the spring. With Climate change, they may not know what time of year it is, last week in Columbus, Ohio there were spring bulbs coming up, and summer flowers still blooming. And we always see some misguided king or coho still trying to squeeze out eggs at Christmas, but the majority have been pushing daisys for a while already. There would be a problem if atlantics and rainbows were both spring spawners, as they like the same size gravel and flow and would be in direct competition for spawning sites.

L13

steelietim,

I havent been in the zones since this Fall - Upper.
I'd try contacting the two shops in the Altmar area.
I havent heard anything, best of luck,
Randy
www.yankeeangler.com
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Yeah lucky; they have not been coming up much past dsr... a dsr staff employee did mention something about them coming up after alewives/baitfish once to me now that you've mentioned it... for the browns; there are a few that come in behind the smallmouths... unfortunately the dsr pass is only good until may 9th.... if it were through the summer I would frequent their waters in summer months to say the least.

Atlantics (landlocks):
Lake George, Schroon Lake & Indian Lake were ,back in the day great places to fish in front of the tribs for salmon in the spring when smelt would come in.

As of late (15 or so years) both have been in steady decline.. Mostly the salmon.. LG has been doing a lot to figure out why.. No answers yet.. My guess, more people, not just fishermen = less fish.

Tough call to finance a failing fishery..

Slayer,

I'd love to take you up on that, but it will have to wait until (or if) I get to retire, as I'm lucky to get 2 weeks to take the family to the 'daks in the summer, and have to basically stay within 20 miles of home 7 days a week from mid June through Labor day. I might be able to do early June especially since the Rochester International Jazz Festival starts later this year (I have already heard from Santa that I have my club pass, so it is tunes for 9 days in a row at the end of June)

Thanks, though. We'll see what transpires.

Off to see the Rochester Philharmonic do their Holiday Pops show tonight, in the interest of domestic harmony!

L13