Art Flick Chapter Trout Unlimited

Because of the August heat, those of you who have had the chance to fish the Carmans river in the past month have probably been delighted to wade in the cool spring-fed waters that give rise to our favorite local stream.   It is truly a joy to fish for native brook trout in a lovely, cool stream throughout the summer, even in the warmest months!    We are incredibly fortunate to have this treasure close to us despite all of the development that Long Island has undergone.    However, in order to protect this treasure we must actively work to encourage our local municipalities to act in an environmentally responsible matter.     A critical hour is at hand for our chapter in it's role as one of several stewards of the river.  The consultants hired by the Town of Brookhaven  and Suffolk County will soon be recommending their plan for dealing with the problem of invasive aquatic plants in upper- and lower-Yaphank lakes.    A preview of this plan was presented to the Carmans River Task Force approximately two weeks ago.    The consultants are likely to recommend two “preferred” options:  (1)   Treatment of the lakes by two courses of the herbicide fluridone, followed by a shallow dredging operation to remove sediment. or (2) Shallow dredging of the lakes using fluridone as a backup.    Both of these options are troubling for a number of reasons.    There is a lack of data on the effects of using fluridone  in a cold, flowing river system such as the Carmans.   It is unknown what effects fluridone will have on  aquatic plants, insects, amphibians, and fish at various stages of development.   Even more troubling is the possibility that DEC will not require a full environmental impact study before permitting either of these two options.   So what can we do?   A public meeting in which these plans will be presented will occur at 7:00PM on the evening of Sept. 14th at a location that has yet to be determined.   It is critical that you attend, if possible, and that you express your concerns about the plans to the meeting organizers and governmental officials who may be there.   I'll update you all on the location via email and our new website www.artflicktu.org   Check it out and stay tuned!

  Doug