Lehigh River Stocking Association

Mission Statement
The Lehigh River Stocking Association is a nonprofit, 501C-3 public organization dedicated to the restoration, revitalization and restocking of the Lehigh River. Our goal is the continuous improvement of this waterway and its tributaries. Our objectives are to insure clean water, a healthy and balanced ecosystem, an abundant fishery and access points for all citizens to enjoy. This will be to the benefit of all interests; including the businesses located throughout this region, the sportsmen and the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This project has been ongoing for two decades with great success. We need and ask for your support for this outstanding program to continue.

	Real Time Lehigh River Water Quality Monitoring - Two Probe Locations
Water Quality Monitor Live Data Stream - from Palmerton, PA Use arrows to navigate back in time
Water Quality Monitor Live Data Stream - from Jim Thorpe, PA Use arrows to navigate back in time
	For more water quality parameters please log on with instructions below and select the parametes of interest (additional parameters include % saturation dissolved O2, ppm Nitrate, ORP mV) Log on at: http://dms.telog.com/TelogE/DesktopLoginPage.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fteloge%2f ShowData1.aspx User Name: Lehigh River Password: LRSA (note, case sensitive) Expand the subdirectories by clicking the + until the measurements are listed. Click on the parameter of interest and the time range then the trend will be charted and data values tabulated. Click on the "properties" tab to select the time window and/or to add multiple parameters to your charts. We are working to clearly establishe Trout Stocked Fishery (TSF) and/or High Quality Cold Water Fisheries (HQ-CWF) conditions in the Lehigh between Carbon and Lehigh Counties. The Palmerton location is the mid-point in our trout stocking range between Jim Thorpe and Northampton and we hope to establish that Palmerton water conditions are also consistent with trout stocked fishery parameters. Given this, we will be in good position to continue lobbying the PA Fish and Boat Commission for assistance in stocking the Lehigh mainstem with adult trout. Probe data is historized so you can still view data from years ago in Jim Thorpe up till present time in Palmerton.
NOTE	ALL CONSERVATION WORK FUNDING IS PROVIDED THROUGH GRANTS AND SPECIAL SPONSORSHIP ALLOCATIONS TO CONSERVATION. STOCKING PROGRAM FUNDING IS NOT AFFECTED AT ALL BY OUR CONSERVATION WORK GIVEN THE GRANTS RECEIVED EACH YEAR

August 8, 2013 - TRIBUTARY SURVEY REPORT

Memberships now being taken for 2014! The latest sponsor Newsletters going out in late October. New merchandise available - Photos below, tees, sweats, hats

October 24, 2013 - Presentation to Lehigh Gap Nature Center of LRSA Conservation Work

New LRSA Meeting Location Time and Place (starting April 2013) -

When: Last Tuesday of each month, 7pm-8:30pm

Where: Market Cafe, Wegmans at 3900 West Tilghman St. in Allentown

October 2013 Newsletter

PA Rep Doyle Heffley at podium with owner Kirt Kressley (left) at press conference at the Firefly facility. He was introducing a bill for shorter term limits for PFBC commissioners. The hatchery remains devoid of trout despite operation for over 100 years, all because trout stocked from the hatchery have been spawning in the adjoining creek, so now it is designated class A and the hatchery is not allowed to operate due to the associated "degradation". What a shame. Five 100 ft long 10 ft wide raceways could raise 30,000 trout + each year but now raises zero because of the DEP rule.

LRSA is working to get a cooperative trout nursery started at the former Kriss Pines trout hatchery in Lehighton. The current owners have renamed the facility Firefly Trout Hatchery. The PFBC has reported sufficient wild brown trout in the adjacent stream (Sawmill Run) to seek to classify the water as Class A. If this designation goes through, the hatchery can only operate if it does not degrate the receiving waters. LRSA is working on a plan to monitor water quality at the site. If the plan is approved, LRSA will work with the owners and with PFBC to raise trout at the location for 5 years to supplement trout stocking in the Lehigh. See article in Times News. Also see Morning Call article.

The Parryville Dam on the Pohopoco Creek is a barrier to thermal refuge and spawning habitat for Lehigh River trout. This 9 ft high impoundment is located about 100 yards upstream of the Lehigh confluence and about 5 miles downstream of the Beltzville dam. The creek is a cold tail water from Beltsville and the Parryville dam could be fitted with an Alaska Steeppass type Denil fishway to permit migration of trout over the dam. This would enhance the trout holdover numbers and help mitigate the adverse impact of this impoundment on habitat. After approval for a proposed fishway was approved by the Palmerton Borough, who own the dam, a grant application for $186K was submitted to the Palmerton zinc pile natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) superfund settlement. LRSA awaits a decision from the trustees for this grant.

March 2013 Newsletter

JUNE25, 2011 - TRIBUTARY SURVEY REPORT

Photo below of Paul Davidson (owner of Skinner Lehigh River guided float service) with 25" 7 or 8 lb rainbow trout caught on a silver/black rapala two days after Lunkerfest2012. Paul was a sponsor of one of our grand prizes, a float trip for two, and we are glad to see he landed this trophy trout.

LRSA Collaborates with Lehigh Valley Sierra Club and Wildlands Conservancy to install passive aerators at the Lausanne Tunnel abandoned mine drainage (AMD) site in Jim Thorpe. See report which shows how dissolved oxygen levels were increased from 10% to 15%. This increased aeration in the aerobic wetland treatment system will increase the amount of heavy metals (iron and manganese) that is settled and trapped in the wetland before entering the river.

JUNE25, 2011 - TRIBUTARY SURVEY REPORT

26rainbow

Four days after Lunkerfest Joe Gocek (above left) caught this 26" 7lb 3 oz rainbow and his dad, Tom Gocek, caught the 27.5in 12 lb rainbow 12 days later. Bowmanstown has provided some trophy fishing this year, thanks to all who supported the LRSA Lunkerfest.

Contact LRSA - We want to know if you have questions, would like to comment on our programs or please also let us know if you have any complaints, we want to keep improving the organization. Our email is Lehigh.River.Stocking.Association@gmail.com

Thank you to Air Products and Chemicals for their generous 2011 contribution of $2,000 to support the LRSA water qaulity program. LRSA submitted grant application ($186,000) to US Fish and Wildlife for fishway at Parryville Dam. Unfortunately, the Growing Greener grant application ($50,000) we made was not successful, this was to study to improve performance of the Lausanne Tunnel AMD passive wetland treatment system and to address the untreated bypass flow in Nesquehoning Borrough (north of Jim Thorpe). This study will use flow data obtained from the flow devices LRSA installed last year with grant funds from Sierra Club. A third grant was also submitted ($21,000) to the US Fish and Wildlife for a Lehigh River water quality monitoring system to be installed in the Palmerton Area (intended to be on-line, like the one we have in Jim Thorpe) - but unfortunately the Palmerton water quality grant request was not accepted.

New: A four year profile of Lehigh River water temperatures - 2006,2007,2008 and 2009

Under water video

Some stocking photos are provided for your interest. Top - Bill Derhammer sports a tiger trout (brook, brown hybrid) caught in the Jim Thorpe area June 2nd. Above John Unger holds nice brown while John Berry keeps a tight line on Tom Gyory's boat between Walnutport and Rockdale, blue winged olives everywhere Tom says.

Lehigh River Fisheries Management Plan
May 1, 2007
Prepared by:
David A. Arnold and Daryl J. Pierce
Fisheries Management Area 5
Division of Fisheries Management
Bureau of Fisheries
Pennsylvania Fish

DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis this week named the Lehigh River as the commonwealth’s River of the Year for 2007.

The designation recognizes the watershed’s role in eastern Pennsylvania history and its promising recreational future. The Lehigh River drains portions of 10 counties and stretches more than 100 miles.

“The Lehigh River is alive and thriving, with water quality better now than it has been the last 150 years,” DiBerardinis said. “There are scores of partners working to preserve, protect and enhance this great state resource, and its resurgence has pumped new life into the communities surrounding it.

“Once a historic transportation corridor for coal bound from Carbon and Luzerne counties to Philadelphia, New York and beyond, the Lehigh River helped fuel America’s Industrial Revolution,” DiBerardinis said. “Now, mountain bikers, hikers and hunters are seen where mules and canal barges hauled coal and other cargo. Where dams once contained the mighty river, anglers in great number now seek trout, American shad and other species found in a healthy waterway.”

DCNR annually designates a “River of the Year” to applaud local residents, governments, non-profit and conservation organizations working to improve waterways and the quality of life in their watersheds across the state.

The Lehigh River winds 104 miles from its headwaters near Gouldsboro, Wayne County, to its junction with the Delaware River in Easton, Northampton County. Its watershed drains Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Schuylkill and Wayne counties. The Lehigh is the Delaware’s second largest tributary.

Real Time Lehigh River Water Quality Monitoring - Two Probe Locations

Photo below of Paul Davidson (owner of Skinner Lehigh River guided float service) with 25" 7 or 8 lb rainbow trout caught on a silver/black rapala two days after Lunkerfest2012. Paul was a sponsor of one of our grand prizes, a float trip for two, and we are glad to see he landed this trophy trout.

FEW Flow Management Plan for 2012

FEW Flow Management Plan for 2009

FEW Flow Management Plan for 2008

FEW Flow Management Plan for 2007