The Friends of the Upper Delaware River issued a crisis alert on Monday, warning that current river temperatures had reached lethal levels for trout after an unseasonable late-spring heat wave, and that anglers and guides have reported seeing dead trout. The group is calling on New York City's DEP to release extra water from the reservoirs to cool down the region's overheated creeks and streams. From the FUDR website:
In recent days, water temperatures between Hancock and Lordville, N.Y.—the heart of the river’s wild trout fishery–were measured at 75 degrees during the day and 70 overnight. With the long-range weather forecast predicting air temperatures in the 80s and 90s by late June, water temperatures are expected to reach as high as 78 degrees.
Trout are subjected to potentially lethal stress when water temperatures rise above 68 degrees. The aquatic insects essential to keeping the trout healthy are at risk, as well.
The Daily Star picked up the story today, but wasn't able to get a comment from the DEP.
We took to Twitter and asked local fishing guide Tony Ritter what he's seeing out there. (Ritter, who goes by the handle @catskillangler, also keeps real-time data from the USGS on river conditions on his website, www.delawareriverfishing.com.) Ritter's verdict: Too darn hot.
76 degrees was the water temperature on the Delaware River in Callicoon, New York at 6:00pm today. Too warm for trout.
In the immortal words of Nina Simone:
I ran to the river
It was boiling
I ran to the sea
It was boiling
I ran to the sea
It was boiling
All on that day
