Organized in 1976, the Tulpehocken Chapter (TCTU) is affiliated with the state and National Trout Unlimited organizations. Membership is open to anyone expressing an interest in conserving or preserving our cold water fisheries. Members receive "Trout" magazine from the national organization, the state council's newsletter, "Pennsylvania Trout" and the Chapter's newsletter, "The TullyGram." Also, members have the opportunity to participate in fishing and fly tying seminars and work side by side on stream conservation projects with others who share the same concerns for the protection of our local cold water fisheries.
TCTU's most successful project involved the steam from which it takes its name, the Tulpehocken Creek in Berks County. The Tulpehocken, below Blue Marsh Lake, has been transformed into one of the state's premier trout streams. With the support and cooperation of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, The Army Corp of Engineers and The County of Berks, the Chapter continually strives to upgrade the overall water quality of the "Tully" by conducting fishery habitat enhancement projects along with stream and stream bank conservation and restoration projects.
Whether you are an excited beginning fisherman, an avid trout fisherman or a conservationist interested in the preservation of cold water resources, plan to attend an upcoming TCTU meeting and learn more about the chapter and the people who are part of it.
Native Brook Trout To Boost Environmental Protection Of Maiden Creek Streams
Five streams in the upper reaches of the Maiden Creek watershed will be proposed for more stringent environmental protection, a result of last summer's discovery of native brook trout in them.
The Reading Area Water Authority and the national and Tulpehocken chapters of Trout Unlimited assessed 29 streams in the watershed's upper reaches last summer and found native brook trout in five of them. They also found wild brown trout in one of the five streams.
"In most cases, if the water was cold enough, trout were present," said Kathleen Lavelle, who led Trout Unlimited's survey crew. "Finding predominantly native brook trout was exciting and a good indicator of the potential populations throughout the watershed."
Each of Pennsylvania's waterways has a designated use, which determines the protection standards that the state Department of Environmental Protection uses to permit development activities. Wild trout streams are protected by the Cold Water Fishes standards.
The state Fish and Boat Commission administers the program, and will be asked to reclassify the five streams.
The reclassification not only will protect the fish but also will help the authority protect the Maiden Creek watershed that is the source of the city's drinking water.
Meanwhile, RAWA has received the Directors Award of Recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water, a program developed by the American Water Works Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration to encourage suppliers to improve their water systems.
The authority won the award for successfully completing the Self-Assessment and Peer Review phase of the partnership program.
That phase includes evaluating treatment plant operations, identifying performance limiting factors and developing action plans to achieve optimal performance.
The plant will be honored by the partnership at AWWA's annual conference.
"We are honored to receive this award," said Dean A. Miller, RAWA executive director.
He said the authority's goal is to keep working to improve operations and water quality, and getting the award demonstrates its ongoing commitment to protect public health.
Click here for the full article published in the Reading Eagle
Rock Deflectors project gets $2,000 Embrace-A-Stream grant
The Tulpehocken Chapter of Trout Unlimited has received a $2,000 grant through the Trout Unlimited national Embrace-A-Stream grant program to help pay for Rock Deflectors on the Tully. The chapter will use the funds to build three large 30/60/90 stone deflectors in the Tulpehocken Creek in Leesport, PA. This project will enhance trout habitat through more efficient and effective use of cold water flowing from Cacoosing Creek.
"We are thrilled to receive this Embrace-A-Stream grant from TU national to help conserve, protect and restore the Tully River," said Mark Beard, Tulpehocken chapter president. "This grant will help our chapter and our project partners improve this important local fishery."The Embrace-A-Stream grant program is administered by Trout Unlimited nationally and awards funds to local chapters for coldwater fisheries conservation efforts. Since its inception in 1975, the grant program has funded more than 1,000 individual projects for a total of $4.4 million in direct cash grants. Local chapters and councils contributed an additional $13 million in cash and in-kind services to EAS funded projects, for a total investment of more than $17 million from coast to coast.
The grant program is funded almost entirely by individual donations from Trout Unlimited members and conservation-minded individuals who know that local restoration projects, led by local volunteers, can make a big difference in improving the health and habitat in our nation's rivers and streams.
"The committee agreed that Tulpehocken Chapter's application was worthy of EAS funding in this extremely competitive year," said Russ Meyer, chair of the Embrace-A-Stream grants committee, a group of Trout Unlimited volunteer leaders from across the country. "We are committed to helping our local chapters in their efforts to conserve, protect and restore their local trout streams."
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