As a fly fishing guide, a member of the board of directors of the America Fly Fishing Trade Association and president of the Massanutten Chapter of Trout Unlimited, I spend a lot of time thinking about water. The fact is, I make part of my living in water and without it much of what I hold dear would be lost.
Lately I have found myself drawn back into conversations about clean water and the need to protect it. EPA has a rule making underway and there are some who would like to undermine that effort. In looking around the inter webs recently, I came across an excellent report from Trout Unlimited. Rising to the Challenge shows just how important small, seasonal and headwater streams are and why they need to be protected.
TU shares a pretty simple equation (not unlike one you see often on this blog) and points out three things that make a healthy stream.
- Cold, clean water
- Habitat for juvenile fish to hide, and for big fish to grown and spawn
- Sensible rules that protect streams from development
Pretty simple Venn diagram if you ask me.
The report shows “the connection between seasonal streams that may run dry at certain times of the year (i.e., “intermittent and ephemeral” streams) and historic trout and salmon habitat.”
There are maps for 14 states, including Virginia below:
Download the report and learn how you can make water your business too.
If you want to learn more about EPA’s rule making here is a link > http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters
Here is some information from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership > http://www.trcp.org/issues/wetlands/cleanwateract#.VDHMnr51qaF