Stream Management

Stream management practices with proper aquatic and environmental science can determine whether a stream is great, good or poor fishery. Macri's River Keeper Stream Management Systems are the way to go. The failure to understand this has resulted in the total decimation of many of  our best waters. I am a river keeper who success can be seen everywhere from public to private waters. My research has led me to the three laws of stream ecosystems that are seldom followed in America especially on public waters.

All streams science must adhere to three basic principles:

• Management based on the best science not politics or fads which are popular rather than good for the stream. Almost all management of streams is done with a wide brush and fails to delineate streams and rivers properly. Such methods are anything but scientific.
• Maintainence: There is a misunderstanding about how to maintain streams including massive amounts of money spent on stream improvement programs like Rosgen engineering styles. Although this is not the place for such a detailed discussion please contact me if you are interested in a proper scientific analysis of these often expensive improvements which don't yield what is expected. Stream must constantly be maintained not a bit of stream improvement and forget it. This is the method most used by River Keepers of Great Britain.
  
  Manicured: Streams should be made fishable so not to destroy the environment. There's nothing wrong with a proper path to the stream rather than have anglers crash their way and damage a host of species. There's nothing wrong in making a section of stream have  better access without destroying proper cover needed by the fish.

As an example of what I'm talking about is the stream I manage. Take a look at the photo below.  It's a pretty little freestone stream that I manage.  It's not a rich stream and can't compare to the water quality of a spring creek like the Letort.  However, guess what?  This little freestone stream has more wild brown trout over 20 inches in 2 1/4 miles than the entire Letort Spring Run ecosystem!

What does that tell you about the state of Pennsylvania's management practices on one of the great limestone spring creeks in the world? I have done more research on different types of stream from freestone, limestone, AMD, and so forth than anyone working on these waters today. If you have private water that you would like to become productive for yourself, group, or club I suggest you call me before you consider any improvements or work.  Never under any circumstance use a stream improvement method like Rosgen without getting my opinion.  You could cause irreparable damage to your stream. I can give you the best scientific evaluation and possibly even consider managing it for you. Contact me below: