To the Editor:
The Warren Village Dam Preservation Trust’s comments regarding trout missed the mark by a large margin last week. Removal of the dam would do a lot more for trout habitat than Ellen Strauss implied – it would cool water to more natural temperatures, oxygenate the water with higher, more natural velocities and flush the gravel deposition that is causing poor macroinvertebrate (trout food!) habitat.
Vermont stocks rainbow trout in the Mad River as a "put and take" proposition. These trout rarely survive a year in the river. They are there purely for angler enjoyment and not to repopulate the river with holdover fish or to start a wild trout fishery. The presence of the Warren Village dam serves no real significant purpose in separating the stocked rainbows from the native brook trout upstream of the village.
The state would likely continue to stock rainbows if the dam were removed but might change fish placement locations. Downstream temperatures would drop, as would be expected with no dam, and the brook trout might descend the river. If this happened the stocked rainbows could be planted further downstream. They won't compete with the wild and native brookies.
It's also likely that with cooler water temps the stocked rainbows could be more viable and survive longer in the river and be more available to anglers. Brookies are amazingly tough and resilient. They bounced back really fast after Irene. The native brook trout make for a fine fishery above Warren Village and that fishery will continue to flourish if the dam is removed.
I’d ask the trust to be more forthright on the issue of taking gravel from rivers. Many harken back to the days when massive gravel mining was taken for granted and encouraged. I hear this constantly, "Oh if we could only remove that gravel, the fish would flourish and life would be good." Currently gravel mining is against the law and this isn't going to change. Gravel mining causes all sorts of problems. It's harmful to the river because it makes the channel more unstable during floods and harms habitat.
I understand the passion for the history and allure of the Warren Village dam to those who love it. I’d ask the trust to focus on what they know and it appears they don't know much about trout or the law regarding gravel mining, either.
Clark Amadon, member MadDog Trout Unlimited
Moretown
