Back The Brookie report
by *Dave Van Lear

In April 2009, the South Carolina Council received a $5,000 Embrace-a-Stream grant from National TU to evaluate brook trout habitat in the streams of Jocassee Gorges, a 40,000 acre publicly-owned tract in the mountains of South Carolina. This grant will be used to supplement a similar, but larger, grant submitted by SC Department of Natural Resources to the National Fish Habitat Initiative to evaluate brook trout habitat in the same area. After stream habitat has been evaluated and streams suitable for brook trout restoration have been identified, the native southern Appalachian strain of brook trout will be stocked in those streams.

After suitable streams have been stocked and subsequent electroshocking demonstrates that these populations are reproducing, the South Carolina brookie restoration team will have established sustaining brook trout populations in headwater streams in all the major river stystems in the state where brook trout once existed. Brook trout have already been established in three headwater streams in the Sumter National Forest (King, Crane, and Tamasee Creeks) in the western portion of their range in the state and reproducing populations currently exist in Greenville County on both public and private property. The Jocassee Gorges is a wild and scenic tract of mountainous property that lies between these established populations. In addition, a population of wild brookies of mixed (northern & southern) heritage has been established in Carrick Creek in Table Rock State Park.

Fisheries Biologists from South Carolina and Georgia and TU volunteers met on King Creek in March to examine and discuss the effects of added coarse woody debris on brook trout nursery habitat. Conclusions from their discussions will be used to determine whether felling of dying hemlock trees should be used in streams of the Jocassee Gorges to increase coarse woody debris loadings.

Education:  An article entitled "Pure Southern: Restoring a Native Trout Strain" was published in the 2009 March-April issue of South Carolina Wildlife Magazine, the state's widely acclaimed wildlife magazine. The article describes the efforts and successes of the South Carolina partnership to restore the southern Appalachian strain of brook trout to headwater streams in the western portion of the state. A copy is being sent by U.S. mail.

Work continues on developing a brochure to publicize the SC partnership's efforts to restore brook trout.  When completed, this brochure will be distributed at the Nature Center in the park along side Carrick Creek.

Visit scbrookie.org to find out more.


*Dr. Dave Van Lear is a professor in the Forestry and Natural Resources Department at Clemson University and a member of the South Carolina Back The Brookie Committee.