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DEC bans Fishing on the Esopus due to drought

Report or discuss current events in the Catskill Mountains.
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dave
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DEC bans Fishing on the Esopus due to drought

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Low, turbid water poses a risk to spawning trout

Anglers: please don't fish the Esopus Creek from the Shandaken Portal to the Ashokan Reservoir. (see attached map for area in question).

If you live near, or fish this section of the Esopus, you have no doubt noticed how low the water level is and how brown and silt-laden the water is.
Photo of low water levels and turbid conditions in the Esopus

Water from the Schoharie Reservoir feeds into the Esopus via the Shandaken Portal. Drought has drastically reduced water levels in the Schoharie Reservoir and last Friday, DEC decided to cut back on the water entering the Esopus through the portal.

DEC Fisheries staff are concerned that the muddy flow from the Portal would hurt the stream ecosystem and threaten trout spawning which will soon be underway.

As a result, water levels in the Esopus, which were already low, will drop further. Fish in the Creek could be very vulnerable to anglers and natural predators. Nonetheless, DEC staff believe that the trout will be better off than if they try to spawn in mud-laden water.

DEC will continue to monitor conditions in the creek. We anticipate that Emergency Regulations will be issued soon that will temporarily prohibit fishing in the Esopus downstream of the portal to the Ashokan Reservoir. We'll let you know when this happens.

Map of the Esopus affected
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Re: DEC bans Fishing on the Esopus due to drought

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Emergency Regulations will prohibit fishing from 11/4/16 until 1/31/17

Effective 11/2/16, a new DEC Emergency Regulation prohibits fishing for all species in the following sections of the upper Esopus creek and Ashokan reservoir:

- from the Shandaken Tunnel outlet in Allaben, to a downstream boundary in the Ashokan Reservoir from the mouth of Traver Hollow stream due east to the old railroad causeway (see attached PDF for map of area affected by the regulation).

This Emergency Regulation is in effect until January 31, 2107.

Due to prolonged dry conditions, the Esopus Creek and its tributary streams are experiencing very low water flow, creating a stressful environment for trout. Additional stress on these fish from angling may impact their ability to spawn and produce the next generation of trout.
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