Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: When It Comes To Protecting Streams, What's In A Name Matters

By Derek Eberly, PA Field Representative

Anglers are campaigning to update the designations of some Pennsylvania waterways to reflect the exceptional status of their wild trout populations and water quality—and secure the habitat protections that these designations afford.

With 86,000 miles of streams and about 4,000 inland lakes, Pennsylvania is home to some of the best publicly accessible fishing that the East Coast has to offer, including phenomenal trout and bass fishing. 

With opportunities like these, it’s no wonder that 1.3 million Pennsylvanians fished their local waterways in 2016, helping contribute to the state’s $26.9-billion outdoor recreation economy.

Since 2010, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has worked with sportsmen and local universities to distinguish our best waters through the Unassessed Waters Initiative. Based on the UWI’s evaluation, stream sections that meet a set of criteria are eligible for certain protections. 

For example, streams that have abundant populations of wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout can be eligible for Wild Trout Stream or Class A Stream designations. 

Protecting these streams ensures that the outdoor recreation industry continues to thrive and that future generations can enjoy the same (or better) fishing opportunities.

Four times each year, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission staff propose streams to be added to the Wild Trout and Class A lists. 

Right now, there are 118 wild trout streams proposed for designation – 85 wild trout streams and 33 Class A wild trout streams that represent the best of our best trout streams. 

Waters eligible for protection during this comment period include tributaries to famous trout streams such as Penns Creek in Centre County, Kettle Creek in Potter County, and Sinnemahoning Creek in Cameron.

Starting right now, local sportsmen and women have a chance to influence this process and seal the deal for our best trout streams.

Why Does a Designation Matter?

In these cases, what’s in a name really matters: Wild Trout and Class A streams qualify for additional protections from Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, including the limitation of activities around these streams that would degrade water quality. 

The Wild Trout Stream title designates a water as a Coldwater Fishery and protects surrounding wetlands from development. Similarly, streams that qualify for the Class A designation get additional recognition as high-quality waters, which restricts in-stream discharges and guards against habitat degradation.

These designations from the PFBC are critical to helping the state manage and protect fish populations, especially as demands on Pennsylvania’s water resources continue to increase. 

When you consider that roughly 40 percent of streams across the state are NOT suitable for fishing, swimming, and/or drinking water, according to the DEP, it makes sense to safeguard the exceptional waterways that already meet top standards and support outdoor recreation that drives our economy.

Fortunately, sportsmen and women understand the importance of this process. A recent TRCP survey found that 92 percent of Pennsylvania sportsmen and women support designating streams when they meet the right criteria.

What You Can Do to Help

Pennsylvania’s hunters and anglers have an important opportunity to conserve more critical streams. If we don’t speak up, these exceptional waterways could easily be degraded and eventually lost to pollution.

From now through March 23rd, sportsmen and women across the state can voice their support for protecting important streams that provide our best fishing opportunities. Speaking up only takes a minute or two, but it could mean that these streams have important safeguards for decades to come.

To comment, Just Click Here.

For more information, visit the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership website.

[Note: The Greater Philly Sportsmen’s Advocacy Workshop or our Lehigh Valley Region Sportsmen’s Advocacy Workshop have been postponed by TRCP.]

Derek Eberly is Pennsylvania Field Representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and can be contacted by sending email to: DEberly@trcp.org.  
[Posted: March 16, 2020]  PA Environment Digest