Gravel Removal

[Idylwilde]

The MDC has started selective material removal from the Current River inside Montauk Park today. The Spring Branch ( Bait Area.) is the starting section of the stream. The area above the dam is unknown at this time.

[mic]

What is the purpose of the removal?

[Idylwilde]

The Current River is a moving river and due to high water in 2011 the stream has sand, and other materials settle in. With no other way of removing it the stream would over time become unable to hold fish. (at the amount which are stocked)The amount of guest and foot traffic the stream gets it is the only way to keep the river at a depth people expect. Inside the park is the only areas that get the removal. Over 400,000 people moved through Montauk Last Year, over 86,000 anglers fished in the park also. In short the public loved the park to death. The removal of sand is just a form of first aid. They are working on other ways of moving the sand by placing current direction structures in the stream.

If I am correct this is the first time in three years the MDC has had to do this, & it's only done in a small area of the stream. The Blue Ribbon area does not get effected except for the flow of insect larva which is dislodged and flows down stream. So in fact this would be a great time to fish the area with Sow-bugs, Caddis, Scuds, Midges, San Juan Worms etc.

[mic]

I don't know if the same thing applies... but some of the old timers at Bennett told me that when they added the handicap ramps in and slowed down the park water that algae/water grass became a problem. Are there a bunch their that affect the flow?

[laker67]

I don't know if the same thing applies... but some of the old timers at Bennett told me that when they added the handicap ramps in and slowed down the park water that algae/water grass became a problem. Are there a bunch their that affect the flow?

Before the handicap piers, they had angle dams which allowed the water to move on through. Now they have the wing dam which necks the water down to the opposite side. Then they got the bright idea to dredge and create deeper and slower water. This allowed the moss to grow and comsume the stream from the bottom up. The scuds were choked out and the sowbugs took their place. The stream gets so choked out that they now have to mow or cut the moss about 3 times a year. The same thing has occurred at montauk in the area that idlywilde describes. I would say its more about getting rid of the moss that has taken over. You need moss covered rocks for a good insect population, not a choked out stream bottom.

[Idylwilde]

The MDC has started today to remove sand, gravel,& vegetation from the fly area above the dam. Deepening it to 8'.

[stlfisher]

Do you by chance know the approximate depth of that area before they started deepening itl? Any chance they add any boulders etc? The fly fishing only area certainly seemed shallower last year especially as you worked upstream away from the darn. It seemed a bit featureless, but I also kinda liked it...made for pretty good dry fly fishing at times.

[Idylwilde]

They did not add any structure the the fly area as of yet. The depth of the area they are working on now went from about 2' to 4.5 at the deepest. The area they are working on is just above the dam and about 50 yards above. and will be about 8' deep till the first high water then it will settle out to about 5.5' for a while. by the end of the year it will be back to less than 5'. That is if we don't have much high water. Basically they are just placing a settling pool above the dam. This is a never ending cycle for the park. The dam acts like s sleuth box and the sand and silt settle behind it. Pigeon creek bring in tons of stuff every thine there is a rise in the water, The water shed for the upper Pigeon Creek is about all cleared farm land. Below the park not so much.

The only way to control it would build a dam on Pigeon Creek above the park. That was looked at years ago but they found some artifacts where the lake would have covered them. End of study. End of chances of the dam.

[stlfisher]

I see...thanks for the info.

[jdmidwest]

And remember on opening morning when you go stomping out in the water in the dark, the holes you were just fishing in C&R season may be over your head. It always happens after they do this to the stream, people go swimming.