IN THE LOOP WITH NCTU
This page is where Council and Chapters can post their current activities.
DIDYMO FOUND IN TUCKASEGEE RIVER
WHITTIER, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2016) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advises trout anglers fishing in western North Carolina waters to be especially diligent when cleaning their fishing equipment after didymo, a nuisance algae, was found in the Tuckasegee River in Jackson County.
Researchers from Tennessee Tech University collected cells of the microscopic algae while conducting regional surveys in late 2015 — the first time the organism has been documented in North Carolina. Didymo, also called rock snot, is the common name of Didymosphenia geminata, a freshwater diatom species that can produce thick algal mats along stream bottoms. The mats can be so thick that they alter stream habitats and make fishing difficult.
Because didymo can be spread easily from waterbody to waterbody, Commission biologists recommend that trout anglers take the following steps to avoid spreading the algae:
• Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment;
• Eliminate water from equipment before transporting; and,
• Clean and dry anything that comes into contact with water.
The Commission has a dedicated Angler Gear Care webpage that lists other steps anglers can take to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species, including how to properly disinfect fishing equipment.
Researchers from Tennessee Tech University collected cells of the microscopic algae while conducting regional surveys in late 2015 — the first time the organism has been documented in North Carolina. Didymo, also called rock snot, is the common name of Didymosphenia geminata, a freshwater diatom species that can produce thick algal mats along stream bottoms. The mats can be so thick that they alter stream habitats and make fishing difficult.
Because didymo can be spread easily from waterbody to waterbody, Commission biologists recommend that trout anglers take the following steps to avoid spreading the algae:
• Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment;
• Eliminate water from equipment before transporting; and,
• Clean and dry anything that comes into contact with water.
The Commission has a dedicated Angler Gear Care webpage that lists other steps anglers can take to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species, including how to properly disinfect fishing equipment.
2015 CO-OPERATORS MEETING 3/26/2015
Photo By Mike Kesselring
Photo By Mike Kesselring
The 2015 Cooperators Meeting was another great opportunity for NCTU to promote the cold water conservation agenda. The Co-op Meeting in North Carolina is a rarity among the States. This is our 26th year for this meeting and to our knowledge may be the only State to have this type relationship between TU, the US Forest Service and the Wildlife Resources Commission. The meeting was attended by 36 members from NCTU, NCWRC and the USFS. NCTU had 7 members attend this meeting.
The meeting began at 9:00 am with a welcome by Sheryl Bryan USFS followed by opening remarks from Kristin Bail, USFS, Jim Mabrey NCTU and Bob Curry NCWRC. The first order of business was to review and extend the Memorandum of Understanding between these organizations for another 5 years. Other topics of discussion and presentation were :
1. Nantahala-Pisgah National Forrest Management Plan Revision - Sheryl Bryan - USFS
2. Trout In the Classroom - Rusty Berrier - NCTU
3. Hatchery Renovations and Fish Production Update - David Deaton - NCWRC
4. NCWRC Regulations Proposals - Jake Rash - NCWRC
5. Use of Trail Cameras to Assess Angler Use on Two Wild Trout Streams - Kevin Hining - NCWRC
6. Trout Unlimited Southeast Conservation - Damon Hearne - TU
7. Update Courthouse Creek Aquatic Organism Passage - Lorie Stroup - USFS
Lunch Break
8. Contribution of Stocked Brown and Rainbow Trout in Apalachia Reservoir - Amanda Bushon - NCWRC
9. USFS Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer - Andy Dolloff - USFS
10. Do Our Watersheds Have Enough Base Cations and Does Liming Help if They Are Short - Bill Jackson - USFS
11. Cooperative Fishery Management on the Nantahala National Forest - Jason Farmer - USFS
12. Brook Trout Gill Lice Update - Jake Rash - NCWRC
13. Open Discussion / Additional Cooperators Updates
14. 2016 Meeting Date Set - March 31, 2016
15. Adjourn
The meeting began at 9:00 am with a welcome by Sheryl Bryan USFS followed by opening remarks from Kristin Bail, USFS, Jim Mabrey NCTU and Bob Curry NCWRC. The first order of business was to review and extend the Memorandum of Understanding between these organizations for another 5 years. Other topics of discussion and presentation were :
1. Nantahala-Pisgah National Forrest Management Plan Revision - Sheryl Bryan - USFS
2. Trout In the Classroom - Rusty Berrier - NCTU
3. Hatchery Renovations and Fish Production Update - David Deaton - NCWRC
4. NCWRC Regulations Proposals - Jake Rash - NCWRC
5. Use of Trail Cameras to Assess Angler Use on Two Wild Trout Streams - Kevin Hining - NCWRC
6. Trout Unlimited Southeast Conservation - Damon Hearne - TU
7. Update Courthouse Creek Aquatic Organism Passage - Lorie Stroup - USFS
Lunch Break
8. Contribution of Stocked Brown and Rainbow Trout in Apalachia Reservoir - Amanda Bushon - NCWRC
9. USFS Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer - Andy Dolloff - USFS
10. Do Our Watersheds Have Enough Base Cations and Does Liming Help if They Are Short - Bill Jackson - USFS
11. Cooperative Fishery Management on the Nantahala National Forest - Jason Farmer - USFS
12. Brook Trout Gill Lice Update - Jake Rash - NCWRC
13. Open Discussion / Additional Cooperators Updates
14. 2016 Meeting Date Set - March 31, 2016
15. Adjourn
2015 TROUT UNLIMITED TEEN SUMMIT 6-28/2015 - 7/2/2015
NCTU is proudly announces that the 2015 TU Teen Summit will be held this year in Western North Carolina. The Teen Summit offer 24 of the best and brightest teenage TU members the opportunity to attend leadership workshops, visit local conservation projects and encourage them to be involved in the 5 Rivers Program when they attend college. This is a great way to foster the next generation of TU members. The 2015 Teen Summit will be held on the beautiful campus of Western Carolina University in Culhowee, North Carolina. Local volunteers may be needed to assist with a fishing excursion during the Teen Summit.
The fog puffed around the tops of the rolling hardwoods and though it was a July morning, the air was cool and I was happy to have an extra layer over my t-shirt. It's easy to see why these mountains are called the Great Smokies. The clock had just hit 5:30 a.m. and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Teenagers trickled out of their rooms, eyes half shut and lugging waders over their shoulders. Their rods stuck out willy-nilly as they dragged their feet to the van. It didn't take long for them to perk up on the drive up to Rough Butte Creek, a headwater stream of the Tuckaseegee. They were feeding off one another's excitement.
How did we get 25 teens up and ready to go at 5:30 a.m.? Well, it was just another day in paradise at the fourth annual TU Teen Summit. The summit is the culmination of the TU Teens program, a section of the Headwaters Stream of Engagement. Each year, youth spend four days learning from area professionals, participating in hands on conservation projects and sharing their passion for TU's mission.
The teens come from different states and varying backgrounds, but all share a common goal: to grow youth membership in TU and make their voices heard. This leadership conference yields the members of TU's Youth Leadership Council (YLC), a group charged with planning and executing effective outreach to their peers and chapter leaders.
During YLC group planning sessions, the room is humming with enthusiasm. It's contagious and the energy is palpable. The sessions are peer-driven – no adults are allowed and the teens' fresh and unique perspectives are not to be taken lightly. They have created work groups focused on social media, videography and outreach on their home waters that are truly inspiring – inspiring because they are so passionate and eager to set their plans in motion.
I witnessed these remarkable teenagers develop tangible solutions for real issues that TU faces today. I have never been more impressed by the power of TU than when I saw these teens in action both in the YLC sessions and on the water, guiding, encouraging, and teaching each other along the way. In this way, teens have so much to offer local chapters. A little empowerment goes a long way.
The biggest challenge is keeping this momentum going once these teens return home. By creating welcoming chapters and giving diverse groups such as youth a voice, you and your chapter or council can help support these efforts and grow your teen and young adult membership.
This is the promise of TU's Youth Program. Empower the youth and provide a platform on which they can be heard, and the future of TU is very bright indeed.
You can contact me at tgranke@tu.org for more information on how to get involved with the Headwaters Youth Program.
Teenagers trickled out of their rooms, eyes half shut and lugging waders over their shoulders. Their rods stuck out willy-nilly as they dragged their feet to the van. It didn't take long for them to perk up on the drive up to Rough Butte Creek, a headwater stream of the Tuckaseegee. They were feeding off one another's excitement.
How did we get 25 teens up and ready to go at 5:30 a.m.? Well, it was just another day in paradise at the fourth annual TU Teen Summit. The summit is the culmination of the TU Teens program, a section of the Headwaters Stream of Engagement. Each year, youth spend four days learning from area professionals, participating in hands on conservation projects and sharing their passion for TU's mission.
The teens come from different states and varying backgrounds, but all share a common goal: to grow youth membership in TU and make their voices heard. This leadership conference yields the members of TU's Youth Leadership Council (YLC), a group charged with planning and executing effective outreach to their peers and chapter leaders.
During YLC group planning sessions, the room is humming with enthusiasm. It's contagious and the energy is palpable. The sessions are peer-driven – no adults are allowed and the teens' fresh and unique perspectives are not to be taken lightly. They have created work groups focused on social media, videography and outreach on their home waters that are truly inspiring – inspiring because they are so passionate and eager to set their plans in motion.
I witnessed these remarkable teenagers develop tangible solutions for real issues that TU faces today. I have never been more impressed by the power of TU than when I saw these teens in action both in the YLC sessions and on the water, guiding, encouraging, and teaching each other along the way. In this way, teens have so much to offer local chapters. A little empowerment goes a long way.
The biggest challenge is keeping this momentum going once these teens return home. By creating welcoming chapters and giving diverse groups such as youth a voice, you and your chapter or council can help support these efforts and grow your teen and young adult membership.
This is the promise of TU's Youth Program. Empower the youth and provide a platform on which they can be heard, and the future of TU is very bright indeed.
You can contact me at tgranke@tu.org for more information on how to get involved with the Headwaters Youth Program.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Press Release:
Whirling Disease found
7/29/2015
NCWRC issues a press release to announce that Whirling Disease has been found in North Carolina waters. Click this link to read the press release:
Whirling Disease
Check out this website to find out about the disease www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers/others_whirling_disease.php
Whirling Disease found
7/29/2015
NCWRC issues a press release to announce that Whirling Disease has been found in North Carolina waters. Click this link to read the press release:
Whirling Disease
Check out this website to find out about the disease www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers/others_whirling_disease.php
State Trout Hatcheries to Resume Stocking Fish after Testing Negative for Whirling Disease
BREVARD, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2015) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission resumed stocking Hatchery Supported trout waters today after receiving confirmation that trout from Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in Marion and Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Brevard tested negative for whirling disease, a disorder affecting trout.
Whirling disease affects fish in the trout and salmon family. The disease, caused by the microscopic parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, damages cartilage and skeletal tissue in a fish, causing it to swim in a whirling motion. While often fatal to juvenile fish, the disease does not infect humans or pets, and eating an infected fish is not known to cause any harmful effects.
The Commission will not retroactively stock Hatchery Supported locations that did not receive fish during the hatchery-testing period due to recent drought conditions and concerns of high water temperatures at those locations.
The Commission also has implemented safeguards to reduce the chance of the parasite being transported to agency trout hatcheries.
“We are initiating disinfection protocols for all gear and stocking trucks returning from stocking runs before they enter the hatchery,” said David Deaton, fish production supervisor. “Additional security measures are being developed to minimize the potential introduction or spread of the disease into other trout waters or our production facilities.”
Whirling disease was confirmed in rainbow trout collected from the Watauga River on July 28 — the first occurrence of it in North Carolina. Commission biologists sampled trout from its two trout hatcheries, Armstrong and Setzer, and sent them for testing at the fish disease laboratory at Auburn University in Alabama.
Commission biologists are continuing to sample waters in the Watauga River basin to determine the extent of whirling disease within the basin. They expect test results within two weeks.
Commission biologists also have instituted a gear-disinfection protocol to ensure the parasite is not spread to new locations when staff is in the field collecting trout and sediment from streams that could potentially contain the whirling disease parasite, tubifex worms or gill lice.
Help Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species
The discovery of whirling disease, along with a new gill lice species in rainbow trout this summer, underscores the importance of preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species, because once established in a body of water, they are almost impossible to eradicate. The Commission encourages the public to help prevent the spread of whirling disease, gill lice and other harmful pathogens by cleaning and drying equipment, clothing or anything else that comes into contact with water. In addition, no one should move live fish or aquatic wildlife from one body of water to another without first obtaining a permit from the Commission.
Anglers are asked to contact the Commission at whirlingdisease@ncwildlife.org if they observe deformities, strange swimming behaviors, or other signs of disease in trout. Anglers who see trout with parasitic gill lice, which look like tiny grains of white rice typically on the gills, can also share their observations at whirlingdisease@ncwildlife.org.
About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use, and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.ncwildlife.org.
Get N.C. Wildlife Update — news including season dates, bag limits, legislative updates and more — delivered free to your Inbox from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Go to www.ncwildlife.org/enews.
BREVARD, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2015) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission resumed stocking Hatchery Supported trout waters today after receiving confirmation that trout from Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in Marion and Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Brevard tested negative for whirling disease, a disorder affecting trout.
Whirling disease affects fish in the trout and salmon family. The disease, caused by the microscopic parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, damages cartilage and skeletal tissue in a fish, causing it to swim in a whirling motion. While often fatal to juvenile fish, the disease does not infect humans or pets, and eating an infected fish is not known to cause any harmful effects.
The Commission will not retroactively stock Hatchery Supported locations that did not receive fish during the hatchery-testing period due to recent drought conditions and concerns of high water temperatures at those locations.
The Commission also has implemented safeguards to reduce the chance of the parasite being transported to agency trout hatcheries.
“We are initiating disinfection protocols for all gear and stocking trucks returning from stocking runs before they enter the hatchery,” said David Deaton, fish production supervisor. “Additional security measures are being developed to minimize the potential introduction or spread of the disease into other trout waters or our production facilities.”
Whirling disease was confirmed in rainbow trout collected from the Watauga River on July 28 — the first occurrence of it in North Carolina. Commission biologists sampled trout from its two trout hatcheries, Armstrong and Setzer, and sent them for testing at the fish disease laboratory at Auburn University in Alabama.
Commission biologists are continuing to sample waters in the Watauga River basin to determine the extent of whirling disease within the basin. They expect test results within two weeks.
Commission biologists also have instituted a gear-disinfection protocol to ensure the parasite is not spread to new locations when staff is in the field collecting trout and sediment from streams that could potentially contain the whirling disease parasite, tubifex worms or gill lice.
Help Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species
The discovery of whirling disease, along with a new gill lice species in rainbow trout this summer, underscores the importance of preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species, because once established in a body of water, they are almost impossible to eradicate. The Commission encourages the public to help prevent the spread of whirling disease, gill lice and other harmful pathogens by cleaning and drying equipment, clothing or anything else that comes into contact with water. In addition, no one should move live fish or aquatic wildlife from one body of water to another without first obtaining a permit from the Commission.
Anglers are asked to contact the Commission at whirlingdisease@ncwildlife.org if they observe deformities, strange swimming behaviors, or other signs of disease in trout. Anglers who see trout with parasitic gill lice, which look like tiny grains of white rice typically on the gills, can also share their observations at whirlingdisease@ncwildlife.org.
About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use, and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.ncwildlife.org.
Get N.C. Wildlife Update — news including season dates, bag limits, legislative updates and more — delivered free to your Inbox from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Go to www.ncwildlife.org/enews.
With all the issues we now have with nusience spicies in North Carolina, you being a part of Trout Unlimited is more important now than ever. Please consider joining today and start making a diference tomorrow. Encourage your fishing buddies to join as well, we need everyone to be in this fight to protect our cold water resources.