Wild brook trout streams of Cape Cod and SE MA 11/14/2018 update
1. Wild Brook Trout Streams of Cape Cod and
Southeastern Massachusetts: 2018 Update
November 14, 2018
Steve Hurley, Southeast District Fisheries Manager
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
steve.hurley@state.ma.us
2. Slides from Steve Hurley,
MassWildlife
โข Presentation was made to the Cape Cod
Chapter of Trout Unlimited on 11/14/2018
โข For more information visit:
www.capecodtu.org
www.southeastmasstu.com
www.searunbrookie.org
3. A Lot of Progress (and some
significant losses) since 2014)
โข Much Progress on
Habitat Restoration
โข Many other
researchers
interested in
coldwater streams
โข Monitored brook
trout populations
fluctuating
Setbacks
โข Loss of Santuit River
and UT- Herring
River Populations
4.
5. Brook Trout Response to Climate Change
Inland Areas
โข Can move upgradient to
colder headwater areas
Coastal Areas
โข Isolated streams
restrict movement
during critical
summer periods
9. South River Marshfield Brookies
โข Many wild brook Trout
from Marshfield
Fairgrounds Brook
found in South River in
spring during shad
sampling in 2017
โข Zenas Brook Way
subdivision plan next to
brook withdrawn
10. Jones River Kingston Dam Removals
Elm Street Dam
Removal Study funded
By DER
Wapping Road Dam
previously removed
Three downstream wild brook trout tributaries
Two Upstream wild brook trout tributaries
11. Eel River
Good Wetlands Restoration but
Major Temperature Impacts
One of first extensive bog restoration
Wild brook trout and Bridle shiner
populations
Removed dam, extensive white cedar
plantings
Large amount of woody structure added
20. Un-named Tributary To Third Herring
Brook
โขTrout electrofished and
PIT tagged -2017 and 2018
in unamed tributary (1 in
mainstem)
โขThree antennas placed
on Third Herring Brook by
NSRWAQ and SRBTC
โขTwo trout hit antenna at
Old Tack Factory Pond
dam in May and June
2018
33. Century Bog Restoration Key Concepts
โข Grading to remove expressions
of agriculture
โข re-expose organic soils,
โข a mosaic of natural community
types;
โข seed bank re-vegetation as
primary means to colonize
organic soils;
โข โข Re-introduction of
microtopographic variation,
including seasonal habitat pools;
โข โข Consolidation of ditch network
to one efficient channel that
maximizes existing shading and
passage through sand rather than
peat
Century Bog New Channel
34.
35. White Island Pond Fish Ladder
Managed for River Herring and
downstream Temperatures
Opened in March
Closed mid-June
Opened for Outmigration Early
October-Early November
36. A wild brook trout from the Quashnet River
โข Tagged 09/24/2008 - 197 mm
โข Recaptured 09/21/2010 - 347 mm
โข 727 Days at Large
Largest recaptured PIT tagged brook trout
from the Quashnet River 09/21/2010
Tag# 985.121003981009
37. Upper Quashnet River Channel after berm subsidence during FS-1
Contamination Remediation
51. Quashnet River Habitat Improvement and Management
Changes have allowed populations to increase
0
50
100
150
200
250
2018201620142012201020082006200420022000199819961994199219901988
TotalNumberCaptured
Year
Quashnet River TU Annual Brook Trout
Inventory Sections 1 to 4
52. The Santuit River: Death of a thousand
cuts?
โข Santuit Pond โ Water Quality
Problems
โข Road Crossings โ Runoff,
Improperly Sized
โข Water Withdrawals: Willowbend,
Cotuit #5
โข Clearing of trees and woody
habitat intended to improve
herring run
โข Loss of nearby population (Quaker
Run)
โข Increased predatory birds (i.e
Osprey platforms next to river)
โข Loss of eel grass
โข Resurgence of otter
Trout Population
discovered to be
extirpated in 2015
54. Dead Brook Trout found in Santuit
River February 28, 2016
Could be a migrant from Mashpee
River but apparent mortality from
Bird?
55. Santuit River Brook Trout Restoration
โข Transplant of 45
brook trout from the
Mashpee River, May
31, 2017
โข Resampled September
2017
โข 15 recaptures and 1
untagged
57. Santuit River โ 2018
May 2018 โ No Trout!
โข September
21, 2018
โข One trout !
133 mm(5.2
inches)
โข Apparent
YOY
58. Cape Cod Rivers Observatory
โข Started by Dr. Max Holmes of Woods Hole
Research Center in 2017
โข Focused originally on sea run brook trout
streams
โข Data freely available online
59. Santuit River Water Quality Issues
2017 - 2018
Filters from the Cape
Cod Rivers Observatory
Santuit River Filters
showing onset of Algae
Bloom in 2017
Santuit Pond underwent a
transformation from rooted
aquatics to an algae
driven system which
impacts the River
downstream
61. Childs River
Farley and Garner Bogs
โข GPR Data from NRCS
โข Fallow Bogs owned by town of
Falmouth and Mashpee
โข Proposal by Falmouth Rod and
Gun Club to Lease and restore
habitats
โข Need restoration plan for entire
river including breaching of Rod
and Gun Club dam
67. โข May 19, 2015 survey Survey with Andy
Nabreski of On The Water Magazine Captured
40 trout (11 recaptures)
โข http://www.onthewater.com/field-trip-
electroshocking-native-brook-trout/
โข
381 mm (15
inches) Photo Courtesy of
Andy Nabreski
Photo Courtesy
of Andy Nabreski
Coonamessett River โ Falmouth
Brook Trout Re-introduction
2013 and 2014 introductions from Mashpee River
69. โข Cooperative research
with Dr. Linda Deegan
and Dr. Andy Jones,
Coonamessett River
Trust
โข Herring antenna in
place all year in prime
brook trout habitat
โข Solar panels
repositioned Nov
2018
76. Coonamessett River
โข Removal of lower dam
โข Woody debris
installation and tree
planting below Thomas
B Landers Road
โข Continued monitoring
of brook trout
restoration/dispersal
77. Marstons Mills River
Formerly Stocked Stream
Single wild trout surveyed at River Road
Spawned out female trout and 6 others
surveyed in November 2015
Limited habitat above Mill Pond
78. Pocasset River:
Four Ponds Conservation Area
โข Resurveyed 2015
โข Wild Brook Trout persisted
โข Wild brown trout gone
2015
Survey
79. UT- Herring River Falmouth
โขWild Brook rout
documented by
Bergin 1975
โขWild Brook trout
found July 28
2011
โขNo trout on
resurvey in 2018
โขPotential habitat
restoration site