NOTICES
FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION
Change to List of Class A Wild Trout Waters; Addition of Unnamed Tributary to Ontelaunee Creek, Lehigh County
[35 Pa.B. 4794] The Fish and Boat Commission (Commission) is considering a change to its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams. Under 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a (relating to Class A wild trout streams), it is the Commission's policy to manage self-sustaining Class A wild trout populations as a renewable natural resource to conserve that resource and the angling it provides. Class A wild trout populations represent the best of this Commonwealth's naturally reproducing trout fisheries. The Commission manages these stream sections solely for the perpetuation of the wild trout fishery with no stocking.
At its meeting on September 26 and 27, 2005, the Commission intends to consider adding the following water to the current list of Class A Wild Trout Streams: Unnamed Tributary (UNT) to Ontelaunee Creek (first tributary west of SR 309), Lehigh County, which extends for a distance of 0.85 mile from the headwaters to the mouth, which is located at latitude of 40°42`12" and a longitude of 75°45`58". The stream is located north of Mosserville, flows in a southerly direction along SR 309, and is the first tributary to Ontelaunee Creek to cross under Lentz Road west of SR 309. This stream was determined to be a Class A wild brook trout water by Commission staff based on trout population surveys conducted in both 2004 and 2005.
According to the Commission's statement of policy at 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a, a stream must meet the following criteria to be classified as a Class A wild brook trout water: (1) total brook trout biomass must be at least 30 kg/ha (26.7 lbs/acre); (2) total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length must be at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lb/acre); and (3) brook trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.
Commission staff conducted electrofishing surveys of the trout population of this stream on August 16, 2004, and again on July 28, 2005, at a location beginning 0.15 mile upstream from the mouth. In both surveys, brook trout was the only trout species collected. A Jolly population estimate was conducted in 2004. This method provided a brook trout biomass estimate of 71.63 kg/ha at the 200 m site that was sampled. The biomass of trout less than 150 mm was 47.29 kg/ha. In 2005, a Petersen estimate was conducted. The 2005 sample began at approximately the same location as the site sampled in 2004 but extended for another 100 m upstream for a total site length of 300 m. The estimated biomass of brook trout in that sample was 63.34 kg/ha with a biomass of trout less than 150 mm of 53.15 kg/ha. Accordingly, the Commission proposes that the UNT to Ontelaunee Creek (first tributary west of SR 309), Lehigh County, be added to the list of Class A Wild Trout Streams.
Persons with comments, objections or suggestions concerning the addition are invited to submit comments in writing to Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P. O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted. Comments may be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.state.pa.us/fish/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt.
DOUGLAS J. AUSTEN, Ph.D.,
Executive Director
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-1577. Filed for public inspection August 19, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
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