New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reported a milestone in the restoration of the Genesee River following the collection of a spawning female lake sturgeon in the lower Genesee for the first time in more than 50 years. [Read more…] about After 50 Years Lake Sturgeon Found Spawning in Genesee River
Fisheries
Salmon, Steelhead Fish Pen Rearing A Success
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that Region 6 fisheries staff released 50,000 Chinook salmon and 10,000 steelhead (rainbow trout) into Black River Bay in early May 2021. [Read more…] about Salmon, Steelhead Fish Pen Rearing A Success
6 Foot Lake Sturgeon Found In Oneida Lake
DEC staff and partners around the state are out sampling to continue measuring recovery of Lake Sturgeon. Scientists at Cornell University’s Biological Field Station at Shackleton Point recently captured an impressive 159 pound, 6 footer from Oneida Lake – the largest sturgeon documented from the lake to date. [Read more…] about 6 Foot Lake Sturgeon Found In Oneida Lake
Adirondack Council Hires Rewilding Advocate John Davis
The Adirondack Council has hired John Davis, a wildlife advocate with Adirondack conservation experience, to advocate for wild land restoration and reconnected wildlife pathways that have been disturbed by roads, buildings and other obstacles. [Read more…] about Adirondack Council Hires Rewilding Advocate John Davis
Efforts Made To Stop Sea Lampreys in Oswego County
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation staff commissioned the Orwell Brook sea lamprey barrier on March 16th, 2021.
The barrier is a temporary structure that is installed each March, during the sea lamprey spawning run, and then removed a couple months later when spawning sea lamprey are no longer present. [Read more…] about Efforts Made To Stop Sea Lampreys in Oswego County
State Hatcheries Complete Walleye, Steelhead Egg Collections
The annual egg take at New York State’s Oneida Fish Hatchery began on March 31st this year. Despite staffing limitations due to COVID-19 restrictions, seven nets were set and a total of 12,424 walleye were collected. Staff processed 5,190 females to obtain this year’s 270 million egg quota in eight days. Eggs are currently hatching, and stocking across the state is underway. [Read more…] about State Hatcheries Complete Walleye, Steelhead Egg Collections
DEC Plans Changes to Whelk Harvesting Rules
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced proposed changes to whelk harvesting regulations in New York’s Marine and Coastal District. DEC is seeking to adopt a minimum size limit for whelk to protect immature females in the population and increase their potential to reach reproductive maturity. The proposal is available for public comment until June 21, 2021. [Read more…] about DEC Plans Changes to Whelk Harvesting Rules
Salmon Net Pen-Rearing Projects set for Lake Champlain, Ontario
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is deploying two new pen-rearing projects for Atlantic salmon to begin this spring. In an effort to improve post-stocking survival and imprinting to the stocked water, experimental Atlantic salmon pen-rearing projects will be conducted in the Saranac River estuary in Lake Champlain and in the Salmon River in Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Salmon Net Pen-Rearing Projects set for Lake Champlain, Ontario
Chittning Pond Dam (Oneida Co) Improvements Planned
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the upcoming rehabilitation of the dam that impounds Chittning Pond, located north of State Route 20 on Albert J. Woodford Memorial State Forest in the town of Sangerfield, Oneida County.
Chittning Pond is a 70-acre pond that is home to a warm water fishery and provides habitat for a multitude of bird, amphibian, reptile, and mammal species. [Read more…] about Chittning Pond Dam (Oneida Co) Improvements Planned
Understanding Winter Fish Kills
New Yorkers may be seeing more dead fish in the water this spring than in past years. The winter of 2020-2021 created optimal conditions for winterkills, which usually occur in shallow waterbodies with aquatic plant growth. [Read more…] about Understanding Winter Fish Kills