Quittie makeover boosts in-stream habitat & stability

Quittie makeover boosts in-stream habitat & stability

By Tyler Frantz

            Two weeks ago, the first good break in the weather lured me back outside, as it always does this time of year. Here in sunny Annville, PA, the balmy 50-degree temps seemed like a toasty oasis of grandeur, when placed in contrast with the months of bitter cold that preceded them.

            Not knowing how long this pleasant spell would stick around, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to get outside for some much needed trout stream therapy. It didn’t matter that the melting snow would likely turn off the fish bite; just being outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine would be good enough.

            On Sunday afternoon, my local fishing buddy, Matt Warner, and I headed to nearby Quittie Creek Nature Park to try our hands at a little delayed harvest fly fishing on the Quittapahilla.

            On this particular stretch of water, catch and release fishing is permitted year-round with the use of artificial lures or flies. Knowing the PA Fish and Boat Commission had stocked the stream just a few days prior made our impromptu trip to the water even more appealing, although we were happy to get out and knock the rust off our casting arms either way. 

            As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, we discovered our aspirations for the day were not quite unique, as nearly a dozen other anglers appeared to have had the same idea. After fishing our favorite pocket pools on the east end without success, a nice gentleman walking his dog along the trail suggested we give the new “stream restoration project” area a try.

            Curious to see the work that had been done anyway, Matt and I headed back toward the Swingholm Pedestrian Bridge, which marks the uppermost location of the complete overhaul to the creek that took place over the past several months.

            In the past, I had seldom fished this lower end because I found it silty, slow moving and generally unproductive. However, after clamoring down the bank below the bridge, I was surprised to discover the concrete pad from the Old Mill Dam had been removed, drastically improving the flow on this section of water.

            Two casts later, my hand-tied hare’s ear nymph hooked up with a gorgeous little rainbow trout that was promptly netted and admired. Measuring in at a slight 9 inches, the first fish of the year somehow appeared larger and more impressive than it truly was in reality. Surely, the months absent from the water intensified the experience, but it felt great to be back.

            I then headed down around the bend, where Matt was doing a good job of missing repeated strikes from his post on a strange hay bale-looking bank structure. Leapfrogging him downstream, I realized the channel had been narrowed and the fibrous mesh on which he stood was holding back a newly constructed streambank to prevent erosion.

           

            Again, the rate of flow had increased, and some strategically placed boulders really improved the habitat and fish holding areas by breaking up the flow into deep pools and riffles. As I dead drifted an egg pattern through a v-cut spillway, I marveled at how fantastic everything looked.  

            “This is exactly what the Quittie needs,” I thought. Then my beliefs were confirmed by the lively strike and spirited fight of another colorful rainbow. Matt hustled over to snap a quick photo of the 14-inch beauty before I returned it to the water, further improving an already good day.

            Before leaving, I walked a fair distance downstream to inspect the rest of the restoration area. I was so impressed that I reached out to the Co-President of the Quittapahilla Watershed Association, Mike Schroeder, to both commend his group for their efforts, as well as learn more about this incredible project.

            “We are just about finished with Phase 1,” said Shroeder. “That included a fair sized stretch of stream spanning about halfway from the Pedestrian Bridge downstream toward the White Oak Street Bridge on Route 934. The remaining stretch will be completed during Phase 2 this spring.”

            “The primary goals of the project included narrowing the stream channel by adding 6-8 feet of stabilized bank on both sides of the creek to divert the flow into the center where it belongs,” explained Schroeder. “This will allow the pools to get deeper, the silt will wash out and the banks will become stronger. In time, we may even see a rock bottom instead of sludge.”

            “The project contractor, Aquatic Resources Restoration Company, used heavy equipment to create a varietal sequence of shallow and deeper areas to promote in-stream habitat improvement. They’ve also mitigated erosion by stabilizing the banks for flood protection using a combination of geotextile fabric and rocks, and they planted an abundance of native vegetation to serve as streamside buffers.”

            Schroeder says the entire project costs over $1-million, which was secured through Growing Greener grants, $80,000 from the Fish and Boat Commission, $5,000 from Lebanon Valley College for labor and stream monitoring, as well as an $11, 000 donation in plants and labor from ARRC contractor Lee Irwin.

            In addition, countless time and resource donations are piling up from groups like the Lebanon Valley Conservatory, Sylva Native Nursery, Friends of Old Annville, Doc Fritchey Trout Unlimited, Annville Township, United Way, and various local schools and organizations.

           

            “It’s pretty remarkable how resilient this stream can be, considering all the abuse and neglect it has experienced throughout the years,” said Schroeder. “We are hopeful that this project will serve as a symbol of what can and should be done all along the Quittapahilla Creek when the community works together to improve the richness and vibrancy of its aquatic ecology.”

           

            For photo updates of all the progress, visit the QWA website at http://quittapahillawatershedassociation.org, or head out to the Quittie to see for yourself. The trout sure seem satisfied there, and so are the anglers!

 For more great writing and video work by outdoors freelancer, Tyler Frantz, visit www.naturalpursuitoutdoors.com. Also, please LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!    

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