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New Haven River: Tribs and Triv
 The New Haven River is 58 miles long and has a drainage of 113 miles. The
upper parts of the river consist of deciduous growth and the lower part of the
river flows through residential and farmland. The streambed characteristics of
the upper part consist of broken dolomitic limestone and gravelly rubble while
the lower part is mainly of sandy-clay consistency. The tributaries are, Muddy
Branch, Notch Brook, Baldwin Brook, Beaver Brook, Beaver Meadow Brook,
Dowingville Brook, Cobb Hill Brook, Lincoln Gap Brook and Pecott Brook. The ph
readings on the river range from 6.0 and 7.7. All parameters taken indicate a
clean, clear, well-oxygenated and well-buffered system. The dissolved oxygen
ranges from 9.3 to10.3 mg/l (parts per million. The total phosphorus, a primary
algal nutrient is relatively low as well as the turbidity and conductivity.A stocking and migration project was conducted in 1945 as well as a spawning and tagging study that was conducted by Leonard Halnon in 1946. It was in the upper stretches of South Lincoln where the fish and game first used "the shocker" as a management tool to determine population count as well as other important data. In the spring of 1970, the state of Vermont conducted an intensive creel survey. The population and growth rates of the three species in general are very good. The Brook trout abound in the stretches above Bartlett Falls. The average size of a brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is between 6.0-7.5 inches. The Rainbow and Brown trout are located below Bartlett Falls. The avg. size Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) is between 6.8 and 8.3 inches. The average size Brown trout (Salmo trutta) is 7.1-9.2 inches. The state of Vermont does stock the New Haven River every year but the river does have an adequate population of "wild trout" that enable the angler to catch some "trophy" size fish. The NHRAA's motto, "dedicated to a quality fishery" has continued to foster this philosophy. The "no kill section" (the first in the state of Vermont) from 1987-1991 tried to improve on the fisheries wild trout population. The section was established between the New Haven Mills Bridge and the Nash farm bridge. The state cooperated with the anglers by not stocking this section of the river. Unfortunately this section of the river was not conducive to the enhancement of a wild trout trophy section. The state has lifted the regulation on this section of the river and in 1992 all sections on the New Haven River will again be open to a "put and take" philosophy! This fishery has the potential to be considerably better in the future. Like all good things they do require a lot of thought as well as extensive research and data. It is the opinion of this author that the two most difficult questions surrounding the New Haven river in the future are the ever increasing angling pressure and the gradual loss of habitat, (particularly soil erosion) Erosion not only silts in streambeds but it also diminishes shade (loss of trees) and root growth so important for bank stabilization and lower water temperatures. In the future the NHRAA will participate in stream improvement projects that will increase fish habitat as well as stream bank stabilization. The NHRAA meets the second Tuesday of every month at the Dog Team Restaurant at 7:00 P.M. The public is always invited to participate in not only angling lore but also conservation and educational issues. |