August 2009 - Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

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6 Dr. Rich honored for Commission service with painting by Rick Hill Fifth District Commission member Dr. Jim Rich, when reappointed last year by Gov. Steven Beshear to his ninth consecutive term, became the Department’s longest serving member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Now beginning his 34th year representing the northern Kentucky area, his long service was recognized with a surprise presentation of a Rick Hill painting of him, adorned in waders and fishing a Kentucky stream. Commissioner Jon Gassett, Deputy Commissioner and longtime fishing companion Benjy Kinman and Hill were K E N T U C K Y F I S H & W I L D L I F E C O M M I S S I O N E R ’ S N E W S L E T T E R joined by the entire commission in presenting Rich the framed original painting. Arnold Mitchell, commissioner of the department when Rich was first appointed, New state record bighead carp Shawn Gilbert (left) displaying the new Kentucky hook and line state record bighead carp that weighed 60 lbs, 8 oz. The fish was caught below Meldahl Lock and Dam. was also on hand for the presentation. The painting will appear on the cover of the upcoming fall edition of Kentucky Afield magazine. Shawn Gilbert (of Falmouth, Kentucky) got a little bit more than he expected when he went fishing below Meldahl Dam last month. Fishing for catfish below the dam, he unexpectedly hooked into and landed what would become the new hook and line state record bighead carp. This new state record bighead carp weighs in at 60 lbs, 8 oz, with a total length of 46.5 inches. He caught the fish using a live nightcrawler as bait. While the bighead carp is considered non-native, invasive and threatening to Kentucky’s other sport fish species, one positive thing that can be said about them is that they sure do put up an impressive fight on the other end of a fishing rod. Shawn said it took about 25 minutes to land the fish in the moving waters below Meldahl Lock and Dam. This fish breaks the current state record by almost 2 lbs.
A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 Trammel Creek restoration completed in Allen County The KDFWR Wetland and Stream Mitigation Program recently completed a 3,800-foot stream restoration project on Trammel Creek in Allen County. The construction was completed in August 2009 and tree planting will be completed in winter 2009. Trout Unlimited has shown interest in assisting with the tree planting. The project site was selected for restoration due to the degraded stream habitat. Degradation was caused from excessive cattle grazing, stream side tree removal, channel straightening and gravel dredging. These impacts lead to excessive bank erosion and channel widening. As the channel widened the stream lost its ability to effectively transport material and the stream began to fill in with sediment. This adjustment resulted in a loss of pool habitat, channel migration from bank erosion and siltation. The leading causes of impairment in the Green River basin are pathogens, siltation, physical substrate habitat alteration and nutrients (KYEPPC-DOW, 2008). The goal of the project was to restore the riffle/pool complexes, reestablish a forested floodplain and eliminate cattle grazing along the stream banks and riparian areas. Channel stability and fish habitat structures such as log vanes, rock cross vanes, constructed riffles and boulder clusters were installed throughout the project area. These structures are used to create eddies and pools that are more fishable. A new treatment utilizing woody debris and logs keyed into the bank below the water surface, then overlaid with sod was used to create an undercut bank for fish habitat and bank protection. Conservation easements were donated by the landowners to protect the project site in perpetuity. The project was designed by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. and constructed by Bluegrass Stream. Funding was provided by the NRCS and Kentucky Wetland and Stream Mitigation Trust. Due to the cold water supplied by Trammel Creek before the 3,800 foot stream restoration project that was completed in August 2009. Trammel Creek after completion. 7 multiple springs near the area, Trammel Creek is classified as a Class II trout stream and managed as a put-grow-take fishery for rainbow and brown trout. The Trammel Creek stream restoration project is another example of KDFWR’s ongoing efforts to protect and restore aquatic habitat in Kentucky. For more information, contact Joseph Zimmerman in the Division of Fisheries/ Environmental Section at 502-564-3400 extension 4453.
Page 1 and 2: K E N T U C K Y F I S H & W I L D L
Page 3 and 4: A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 Lt. Herb Booth,
Page 5: A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 Law Enforcement
Page 9 and 10: A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 New fishing pie
Page 11 and 12: A U G U S T 2 0 0 9 Meece Middle Sc

August 2009 - Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

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