MAC Meeting Conservation Report May 17, 2008North Point State Park Prepared by Ken Pavol Didymo and Whirling Disease: Status and updates. Susan Rivers of DNR Fisheries Service will attend and provide updates.
Hoyes Run: Threat of dewatering by pumping in the watershed.
The concern regarding Hoyes Run is that developers who have drilled wells in the watershed will obtain water withdrawal permits from MDE that fail to protect Hoyes Run from drying up during drought conditions. Hoyes Run is unique in that it supports the naturally reproducing populations of brook, brown, and rainbow trout. Neil Jacobs filed an earlier email report on a meeting between TU, DNR, and MDE: Folks, Alan Klotz, DNR, Ken Pavol and I met with John Grace, Hearing Officer, and Patrick Hammond, geologist, at the MDE office in Baltimore on March 27th. The purpose of the meeting was to continue our opposition and add additional information to the Wisp application to withdrawal water from the Hoyes Run aquifer. We presented the updated Hoyes Run data prepared by Melissa O’Neal and homeowner letters in opposition. Since then additional material has been submitted by Donald Hershfeld describing considerable observations that will be helpful. The meeting was very positive, lasting 2 hours and the discussion centered around the MDE Tier 2 designation for the Run, the application of COMAR, and the options that are available to the developer. Alan further offered the experience of McMillen Fork, a trout stream dewatered by deep mine operations. Considerable time was spent discussing the biology of the stream and base flow issues, particularly in August and September. In summary we feel MDE has much more to consider than their initial hearing produced and it's clear they respect the Tier 2 designation and appear to be searching for a strategy. We promised to provide more information and stay in contact. We have many issues coming up with Wisp development but it is critical we stay focused on the application. If we fail here all the other concerns we have are moot.
Alan Klotz, Western regional Manager, DNR Fisheries Service, provided the following on May 15: Alan conducted a field visit with MDE personnel including Pat Hammond and also John Backus, MDE Tier II stream specialist. Of interest was the fact that Hammond and Backus were meeting for the first time although they work for the same agency. Backus concluded that Hoyes Run was already stressed by current development and that withdrawing water from the aquifer under Hoyes Run would further stress the stream. Therefore, any withdrawal would violate protection for Hoyes Run under its Tier II designation. Hammond noted that the permit conditions as currently written could result in dewatering of Hoyes Run under dry or drought conditions for a period of “months”. Alan felt the site visit was useful and is encouraged by the views that MDE expressed regarding developing permit conditions that would effectively protect wild trout resources in Hoyes Run. The conditions may cause the applicants to seek other sources of water for their development activities in the Deep Creek watershed. Alan noted that an important benefit of the interest in the Hoyes Run issue is that communication within MDE will be enhanced as Backus and Hammond and their respective units will be meeting in the future regarding applications that may potentially affect trout streams.
Wolf Den Run Surface Mining Application:
Wolf den Run is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac near Kitzmiller, MD. It supports wild brook trout and has benefited from abandoned mine reclamation activities in recent years. An application to surface mine in the upper Wolf Den watershed has the potential to significantly impact, or even extirpate, the wild brook trout population within Wolf Den Run.
Alan advised that Secretary John Griffin submitted a letter to MDE Secretary Sherri Wilson expressing DNR concerns over the surface mining proposal in Wolf Den Run watershed. According to Alan, the issue still resides at that administrative level, and remains in the review stage.
Savage River Dam repairs:
Jay Sheppard is very well informed regarding this issue and may wish to present a report. Jay, Jim Gracie, and myself attended a May 7 meeting with the Upper Potomac River Commission, the Army COE, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, and DNR Fisheries Service regarding the Savage Dam repair issue and the fate of the Savage trout resource. The meeting was informative and productive and recommendations by the TU contingent for flow management were well received. The group agreed to continue to communicate via conference calls and email. To summarize, repair attempts failed to correct the problem to one of the emergency gates. As a result of efforts by the UPRC to repair the faulty gate, refilling of the reservoir was delayed until May 10. Savage Reservoir surface elevation on May 10 was 1410’. Full pool surface elevation is 1468’. The likelihood of storing a sufficient quantity of water, including cold water, to protect the wild trout resource in the Savage tailwater seemed unlikely. However, a near miraculous sequence of cold, rainy weather since May 10 has resulted in an increase in surface elevation to about 1457’ by mid-day today, May 15, only about 11’ above the spillway crest. It’s probably safe to conclude that the Savage tailwater fishery will be adequately protected during the coming summer season. Complete repair will probably be scheduled for late fall and winter, when water temperature will be a much lesser issue.
Mission Statement: "To conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds." Our Vision: By the next generation, Trout Unlimited will ensure that robust populations of native and wild coldwater fish once again thrive within their North American range, so that our children can enjoy healthy fisheries in their home waters. Page last updated
11 June 2008 © Mid-Atlantic Council of Trout Unlimited, All Rights Reserved email: admin@mac-tu.org Mid-Atlantic Council Conservation Concerns
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