NOTICES
FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION
Proposed Changes to List of Class A Wild Trout Waters; January 2022
[51 Pa.B. 7320]
[Saturday, November 20, 2021]The Fish and Boat Commission (Commission) is considering changes 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. With rare exceptions, the Commission manages these stream sections solely for the perpetuation of the wild trout fishery with no stocking.
Criteria developed for Class A Wild Trout fisheries are species specific. Wild Trout Biomass Class Criteria include provisions for:
(i) Wild Brook Trout Fisheries
(A) Total brook trout biomass of at least 30 kg/ha (26.7 lbs/acre).
(B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(C) Brook trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.
(ii) Wild Brown Trout Fisheries
(A) Total brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).
(B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(C) Brown trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.
(iii) Mixed Wild Brook and Brown Trout Fisheries
(A) Combined brook and brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).
(B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(C) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(D) Brook trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
(E) Brown trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
(iv) Wild Rainbow Trout Fisheries
Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 2.0 kg/ha (1.78 lbs/acre).
(v) Mixed Wild Brook and Rainbow Trout Fisheries
(A) Combined brook and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).
(B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(D) Brook trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
(E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
(vi) Mixed Wild Brown and Rainbow Trout Fisheries
(A) Combined brown and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).
(B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).
(D) Brown trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
(E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.
During recent surveys, Commission staff documented the following stream sections to have Class A wild trout populations. The Commission intends to consider adding these waters to its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams at its meeting on January 24 and 25, 2022.
County Stream Section Limits Tributary to Mouth
Lat/LonBrook Trout
(kg/ha)
Brown
Trout
(kg/ha)
Rainbow
Trout
(kg/ha)
Length
(miles)Survey
yearBerks Drumheller School Creek 2 Old State Road to Mouth Oysterville Creek 40.396246
75.708021—- 49.40 —- 1.30 2020 Centre UNT to Cedar Run (Mackey Run) 1 Headwaters to Mouth Cedar Run 40.795833
77.761944—- 69.66 —- 1.34 2021 Columbia Fester Hollow 1 Headwaters to Mouth West Branch Briar Creek 41.054097
76.332297—- 65.73 —- 3.01 2021 Columbia Long Hollow 1 Headwaters to Mouth Catawissa Creek 40.941111
76.30777831.27 —- —- 2.48 2021 Lackawanna/ Luzerne Trout Creek 1 Headwaters to Mouth Spring Brook 41.328056
75.69027850.16 0.85 —- 3.79 2021 Lycoming Right Fork Otter Run 1 Headwaters to Mouth Otter Run 41.447770
77.36401333.95 —- —- 1.42 2021 Schuylkill Locust Creek 1 Headwaters to Locust Lake Little Schuylkill River 40.809167
75.99611132.07 4.83 —- 1.20 2021 Westmoreland Baldwin Creek 2 State Game Lands 42 boundary to Mouth Conemaugh River 40.378613
79.0650022.38 56.34 —- 1.49 2021 Persons with comments, objections or suggestions concerning the additions are invited to submit comments in writing to the 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 also may be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.fishandboat.com/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. Electronic comments submitted in any other manner will not be accepted.
TIMOTHY D. SCHAEFFER,
Executive Director
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 21-1939. Filed for public inspection November 19, 2021, 9:00 a.m.]
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