Heads up - Musky river channel restoration week of 18th

[Bucksnbows]

Just a heads up that my firm, hired by Trout Unlimited, will be restoring the state land section of the Wild & Scenic Musconetcong River in Franklin Twp. in Warren County the week of the 18th.  This is part of the Musconetcong River WMA and is located immediately upstream of Warren Rod & Gun Club and the Musky Trout Hatchery.  The plan calls for about 4 days working in the river channel to restore degraded habitat created by the building of stone dams by fishing club activities over many decades.  That dam building has caused the river to widen significantly in that reach and it lacks both good riffle (bug) habitat as well as deep pool habitat. 

We never know until we begin excavation, but past history tells us that we will hit the clay lens and the river will be seriously off-color for the four days we are working.  NJDEP requires us to install and maintain a turbidity barrier, but both the DEP and our firm knows that these efforts do not affect the turbidity downstream unfortunately.  Just in case you plan to fish the river downstream during this period.  The river will clear quickly in the area we will be working in, but downstream will be off-color for a bit longer as the suspended solids work their way downstream. 

You may come and watch our work that week, but please stay well away from our excavator operator.  If you get too close, he will send a wall of water in your direction as a "hint" you are too close.  If you head there now before the project, you will see 4 truck loads of large boulders brought in for the project.  We have had a permit in hand since January, but with trout stocking and wood turtle exclusion times, we can't begin work until the 15th.  My operator flies in on Sunday the 17th to begin work on Monday the 18th.  I will post up photos of the work then.

 Below is a picture of one of the old stone dams.  Because they were hand built, and because man can only lift so much (LPJR not included), the river easily moves these smaller rocks and pushes the center of the river downstream.  That causes the water to flow at the banks, widening the river over time.   

       

[Rusty]

Very cool.  

That's right where I'll be tomorrow, getting a little work done on my uncle's farm.   

[MGHunter66]

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Joeybeets]

Pretty cool would love to see the photos as the project moves along. 

[Bucksnbows]

On 6/8/2018 at 10:19 PM, Joeybeets said:

Pretty cool would love to see the photos as the project moves along. 

I will start a new thread that Monday and show our work in progress during that week.  There will also be two videographers there at points during the week.  For those fly fishermen that know him, Tim Flagler will be taking stills and video and drone video for a promotional video for our firm.  He has been on two other jobs of ours as well.  And Foley Caterpillar is sending a marketing person out with a videographer to show one of their machines doing work to benefit the environment so not everyone associates an excavator with evil developers. 

[Bucksnbows]

We had a minor delay, but got in the river today. This 100’ turbidity boom was a real PITA and took numerous tries before we got a good system. That’s holding back 157 cfs of river over 90 feet wide.





More pix this week


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LPJR]

Definitely cool to see Brian. Looks like Trout Unlimited knows who to go to when restoration of a river is needed! 

[Reeltight]

Will the state start stocking this section again in the future? Or will it continue to be up to the volunteers?

Edited June 20, 2018 by Reeltight

[Buck154]

Looks good  Good to see all the work getting done on the rivers

[Bucksnbows]

Will the state start stocking this section again in the future? Or will it continue to be up to the volunteers?

Volunteers, but we do a great job here. I sometimes drive the transfer truck. TU is allowed to prune the trails so we can drive up again. It got overgrown when the house was abandoned for several years. It is now restored and lived in by a Division CO and his wife.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bucksnbows]

A work in progress.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bucksnbows]

We finally have a hydraulic thumb!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Integracingsr]

Very cool.  Looking forward to seeing all of the before and afters.

[Bucksnbows]

It’s impossible for me from the river to do before and after. But at home tonight I can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FLDBRED-BDC]

These Threads are why I visit NJ W+W !