799 Proposed additions to list of Class A wild trout waters; July 2016

Proposed Additions to List of Class A Wild Trout Waters; July 2016

[46 Pa.B. 2382]
[Saturday, May 7, 2016]

 The Fish and Boat Commission (Commission) is considering additions to its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams. Under 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a (relating to Class A wild trout streams), it is the Commission's policy to manage self-sustaining Class A wild trout populations as a renewable natural resource to conserve that resource and the angling it provides. Class A wild trout populations represent the best of this Commonwealth's naturally reproducing trout fisheries. With rare exceptions, the Commission manages these stream sections solely for the perpetuation of the wild trout fishery with no stocking.

 Criteria developed for Class A Wild Trout fisheries are species specific. Wild Trout Biomass Class Criteria include provisions for:

 (i) Wild Brook Trout Fisheries

 (A) Total brook trout biomass of at least 30 kg/ha (26.7 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Brook trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (ii) Wild Brown Trout Fisheries

 (A) Total brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Brown trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (iii) Mixed Wild Brook and Brown Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brook and brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brook trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Brown trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (iv) Wild Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 2.0 kg/ha (1.78 lbs/acre).

 (v) Mixed Wild Brook and Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brook and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brook trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (vi) Mixed Wild Brown and Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brown and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brown trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 During recent surveys, Commission staff documented the following stream sections to have Class A wild trout populations. The Commission intends to consider adding these waters to its list of Class A Wild Trout Streams at its meeting on July 11 and 12, 2016.

County	Stream	Section	Limits	Tributary to	Mouth Lat/Lon	Brook Trout (kg/ha)	Brown Trout (kg/ha)	Rainbow Trout (kg/ha)	Length (miles)	Survey Year
Berks	Wyomissing Creek	1	Headwaters to former Mill Dam at RM 5.79	Schuylkill River	40.329444 75.939444	—	93.53	—	3.53	2015
Westmoreland	Left Fork Mill Creek	1	Headwaters to Mouth	Mill Creek	40.246113 79.129166	20.79	22.40	—	2.06	2015
Westmoreland	Right Fork Mill Creek	1	Headwaters to Mouth	Mill Creek	40.245834 79.129166	31.84	1.47	—	2.58	2015

 Persons with comments, objections or suggestions concerning the additions are invited to submit comments in writing to the Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments also may be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.fishandboat.com/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt. Electronic comments submitted in any other manner will not be accepted.

JOHN A. ARWAY, 
Executive Director

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 16-799. Filed for public inspection May 6, 2016, 9:00 a.m.]