1. RESTORING
TROUT HABITAT
IN THE PIEDMONT
Nic Wells and
Michael Carter

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
▸ Prior study conducted by PEC and Trout Unlimited
to collect data on crossings in the three counties
▸ Crossings classified as:
▹ No Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP)
▹ No Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) except
adult Salmonids
▹ Reduced Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP)
▹ Full Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP)

3. PRACTICUM GOALS
▸ Measure rivers and streams that serve as trout
habitat in Rappahannock, Madison, and Greene
counties
▸ Prioritize which crossings need to be removed
from streams to optimize habitat area

5. WHAT
TYPE OF
CROSSING
IS IT?

6. WHAT
TYPE OF
CROSSING
IS IT?

7. WHAT
TYPE OF
CROSSING
IS IT?

8. WHAT
TYPE OF
CROSSING
IS IT?

10. BROOK TROUT HISTORY
▸ Virginia’s only native trout species
▸ Populations greatly reduced by habitat
destruction and water quality reduction
▸ Stream habitats fractured by roads and other
crossings

11. BROOK TROUT BIOLOGY
▸ Require cold water (Optimal below 20℃/68℉)
▸ Indicators of water quality
▸ Lay eggs in clean gravel
▸ Found often in mountain headwaters

12. WHAT IS
SUITABLE
HABITAT?

13. PRACTICUM
STEPS
Use GIS to measure stream length
Analyze surrounding area
Prioritize crossing removals

14. MEASURING STREAM LENGTH
▸ 19 streamsheds and 133 crossings measured
▸ Only suitable trout habitat included in
measurements
▸ Recorded locations of all crossings
▸ Braids, tributaries made data less precise

16. PRACTICUM
STEPS
Use GIS to measure stream length
Analyze surrounding area
Prioritize crossing removals

17. ANALYZING SURROUNDING AREA
▸ Data used to determine quality of the stream
(present and future)
▸ Data layers used:
▹ Forest Cover (Virginia Department of
Forestry)
▹ Land Use (Virginia Department of Forestry)
▹ Easements/ Public Land (Virginia
Department of Conservation and Recreation)

18. PRACTICUM
STEPS
Use GIS to measure stream length
Analyze surrounding area
Prioritize crossing removals

19. PRIORITIZING STREAMS
▸ Factors:
▹ Stream length (distance reconnected)
▹ Presumed stream quality
▹ Number of barriers
▸ Prioritize which crossings need to be removed
from streams to optimize habitat area

20. STREAM DATA
Total Length
(Trout Habitat)
Number of
Inhibited
Crossings
Longest
Continuous
Stretch*
Conway 13.979 miles 3 4.015 miles
Piney 6.363 miles 1 5.195 miles
South 8.874 miles 5 3.602 miles
Rapidan 9.313 miles
1 on main stretch 1
on tributary
8.224 miles
*This does not include tributaries, which add substantial
distance for these rivers, especially Conway

21. 1.
Conway River

24. 2.
Piney River

26. 3.
South River

28. 4.
Rapidan River

30. 9%of Virginia’s historic brook trout habitat still intact
75,000$USDA average cost of crossing replacement
65 crossingsinhibiting aquatic organism passage in Greene, Madison, and Rappahannock

31. ANY
QUESTIONS?

32. WORKS CITED
▸ “Brook Trout.” National Park Service http://www.nps.
gov/shen/learn/nature/brook-trout.htm
▸ “Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats.” Eastern Brook
Trout Joint Venture
▸ Hendrickson, Shane, Kate Walker, Shelia Jacobson, and
Fred Bower. “Assessment of Aquatic Organism Passage at
Road/Stream Crossings for the Northern Region of the
USDA Forest Service.” (2008): 9. Print