NOVEMBER 8, 2024
The Mershon-Neumann Heritage Chapter of Trout Unlimited is again planning to conduct the South Branch brown trout redd survey this year. The MNHTU members volunteers - along with other volunteers from the Mason Griffith Founders Chapter and local river conservationist, will come together to complete this annual river survey. This survey on the South Branch of the Au Sable is coordinated with a similar survey on the main branch by the Mason Griffith Founders Chapter of TU and another survey on the north branch by Anglers of the Au Sable. The date for this year’s south branch survey will be Friday, November 8th. We will meet at Chase Bridge on the south branch of the Au Sable River at 10 am.
If you have not helped with this project in the past… here is what we are asking for help with:
Wade (with other volunteers) a one to two-mile section of the south branch to inventory brown trout redds.
Each redd location will be measured and the GPS coordinates will be recorded. It will take about two hours to complete the inventory in each river reach
Each team plans to complete two reaches in the day.
Information from this survey gives a great deal of information to help improve our fisheries.
The location and size of spawning trout redds provides:
· DNR Fisheries an estimate of the female trout population
· Yearly averages of redd sizes identifies trends of fish size
· Identifies protective cover needs
· Identifies productive and non-productive river reaches
New volunteers will be provided with training - both pre-survey and on the stream. If you have a friend that would be interested in helping with this survey, please let them know, too.
If you wish to join our survey on Friday, November 8th, please contact chapter advisor Howard Johnson. He will answer your questions and address your concerns, as well as provide more
details regarding the survey. Please contact Howard at 989-280-0381
Comments