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Bluegrass TU Conservation Projects
2011
Rock Creek cleanup and One-fly fishing contest
A fun day transpired at Rock Creek Saturday April 30. The day kicked off with the overnight campers arising for a hardy breakfast in the great outdoors. At 9 AM we all gathered at the Great Meadows campground due to the picnic ground being closed for construction and joined the day arrivals for a trash pickup along Rock Creek. We were accompanied by students from the Job Corps at Pine Knot. Dividing into teams of two we covered the area in 2 ½ hours. The trash filled one pickup. At noon the group consisting of 11 TU’ers, 8 kids from the Pine Knot Job Corps Center and three Forest Service employees partake in the picnic provided by the Job Corps. The menu consisted of hamburgers and hotdogs, baked beans, potato salad, and a big chocolate chip cookie.
After the conclusion of the picnic, the TU’ers drew lots for the teams in the one fly contest. All fishermen were off to the stream for the meat of the day. Much frustration was felt by the participants as one after another lost flies, fish and partners. The contest was over at 5 o’clock as all participants gathered for the evening festivities. New classes will have to be held, as no one caught any fish.
The evening began with 10 trays of hor’derves, that some said was enough food for all without any entrée. After a few adult beverages the entrée was put on the grill and the side dishes were prepared. Baked beans, fruit salad, pasta salad, pickled asparagus, squash gruyere with fresh dill seasoning, green salad with Italian dressing, grilled asparagus rounded out the side dishes. Lasagna ala Joy Eaton was the entrée of choice. Seafood gumbo was the real treat. The evening was capped off with a grand selection of deserts, rum cake, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate cake, and fresh fruit. Most were too full to take a large portion
A good time was had by all and the softer ones headed for the Big South Fork Motor Lodge for a hot shower, promising to return in the morning. A morning shower kept everyone away from the stream. Pam and Sandy were the last ones out and waved good bye to a beautiful stream for this year.
Stream Rehabilitation for June
The chapter outing for June is the reconstruction of the stream constrictor at Parched Corn Creek. The recent floods have damaged the structure and made it unusable. We also plan to plant some seedlings along the stream bank.
The work party will begin at 9am June 26th at the Rough Trail trailhead off of Sky Bridge road (KY 715). Wear old clothes, bring gloves, lunch, drinks and a lot of spirit. The walk to the site is about 1 mile. We will be using chain saw, log carriers, peavey poles, sledge hammer, and other heavy hand tools. A change of clothes for the ride home is suggested.
A potluck dinner is planned for the picnic area adjacent to the trailhead. Bring your adult beverages and an hors d’oeuvre, we will grill hamburger on the fireplace and share side dishes.
More information, Sandy Broughman 271-1778.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
(Adelges tsugae)
As most of you know by now, the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) has expanded its range into eastern Kentucky and is now in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Hemlock trees are common in riparian areas and are very important in maintaining cool water temperatures in streams. The hemlock also plays a substantial role in preventing erosion of stream banks and providing shelter for wildlife. The implication is that widespread hemlock loss could result in rising stream temperatures and loss of habitat suitable for trout.
What can we do to stem the spread of this non-native insect pest, you ask? The Department of Entomology needs our help in identifying locations of the pest. When fishing locations throughout Kentucky in spring and fall be on the lookout for telltale signs of the pest. Take a photo of the tree and the infestation, use your GPS to establish the location, take a sample of the branch and place it in a zip-lock bag, return the whole kit to Lee Townsend, Department of Entomology, S-225 Agriculture Science Center north, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546.
Please clip the accompanying Adelgid report and identification picture and place it in a zip-lock bag to carry in your fishing vest. The only way to fight back is to identify the locations and then proceed with eradication.
Click here to open the Adelgid Report
Click here for a great article on the Rock Creek Restoration Project
Scott County - Royal Springs Project
TU's Bluegrass Chapter in Lexington has adopted a project in Georgetown to restore Royal Spring, a little stream that runs about a mile through the heart of the city before its joins the north fork of Elkhorn Creek. Nearby is a tourist attraction known as the Japanese Gardens and the Scott County Courthouse is in the background. It's a good example of government teaming up with private organizations like TU and others for a greener, cleaner environment.
City officials have budged $1 million for the project and there are plans to partner with more that a dozen government agencies and volunteers groups. A TU crew lead by Dick Kielar, who is spearheading the restoration project on behalf of the chapter, cleaned trash and debris on a cool spring morning from the creek and banks. That effort may be repeated before really cold weather sets in. And the chapter held a field day there which featured food, fly casting and a chance for the broader chapter membership to learn more about Royal Spring and the potential it holds. Georgetown officials this fall will apply for grants from a number of sources including the Fiscal Court and Corps of Engineers. When finished, Royal Spring will be fully accessible to the public, featuring a number of native plants and grasses along with annual stockings of rainbow trout.
Such projects are ideal for urban areas regardless of their size. They provide wildlife habitat, picnicking, walking trails, fishing and overall a fertile place to play, explore and learn. Kids who otherwise would have no opportunity for bonding with nature can search for frogs, and crawfish – and their parents need not worry about some strange and dangerous bacteria because of poor water quality. The project fits very nicely with the notion of doing something for the environment that no one would argue needs all the help it can get.
