New River Musky

Muskellunge were first stocked in the New River in 1972. The total number of fish stocked varied from year to year until a stocking rate of 1-2 fingerlings per pool acre became the standard. Tiger musky were stocked a few years but survival was poor and anglers were not seeing them, so we went back to stocking pure strain musky. A musky habitat study began in 1992 and lasted through 1995. Pool lengths, widths, and depths were measured on the Clinch, New, James, and Shenandoah Rivers. Aquatic vegetation was identified. Stocking rates and stocking locations were then adjusted to more efficiently allocate the muskies produced in our hatchery system.
Beginning in 2000, a cooperative musky research project between Virginia Tech and our Department, began to evaluate management of the New River musky fishery. Musky captured by electrofishing in the Whitethorne section of the river were outfitted with radio transmitters and tracked weekly for three years. During that time, additional sampling was done each winter and early spring throughout the New. Stomachs of each collected musky were pumped for food items, and most fish were released back into the river. A select few were sacrificed for additional internal investigations, and a bone called the cleithra, found in the gill covering plate, was removed for aging of the fish. Data analysis lead researchers to recommend an increase in the minimum harvest length from 30 inches to 42 inches, and a decrease in the creel limit from two fish per day to one fish per day on the entire New River and its impoundments. The new regulations were approved and went into effect on July 1, 2006.

Current Management Project

One of the goals of the New River musky stocking program has been to produce a self sustaining, naturally reproducing population of fish, with the understanding that periodic stockings would have to be done to support the population. For the last 20 years or so,
musky reproduction was considered possible in the New, particularly in the lower river below Claytor Lake because of the abundant habitat, forage, and adult population found there. To document reproduction, a plan was devised to skip a couple of years of stockings in the lower river in 2004 and 2006, and to intensively sample for young-of-year (YOY) musky the following winters (when the fish would be nearly a year old). If young fish were found, it would be assumed that they were naturally reproduced. In addition, all musky stocked in 2005 received a fin clip, and all those stocked in the lower river in 2007 were clipped and given a pink visual implant elastomer (plastic) mark in their anal fin.

Our musky, produced at the Buller Fish Cultural Station near Marion, VA, are usually four to six inches in length when stocked. A change was made in the program in 2007 for the New River fish. Following the draining of the production pond at Buller, the New River fish were stocked back into the pond after it was refilled. They were fed with minnows for an additional three months and when the pond was drained in September, the musky averaged nine inches with some as long as twelve inches in length. The purpose of the grow-out plan was to stock a larger fish, hoping for better survival the first year.

Management Project Results

Electrofishing on the lower New in January and February, 2005, resulted in the capture or close observance (defined as just out of reach of the net!) of 25 YOY musky, which equates to a catch-per-effort (CPE) rate of 1.6 YOY musky per hour of electrofishing
(Table 1). On the upper New at Fosters Falls and Austinville during that same time period, only one YOY was captured for a CPE of 0.1 per hour (Table 2). All of these 26 YOY had to have been naturally reproduced since no musky were stocked in 2004.

Sampling on the lower river in 2006 resulted in approximately the same YOY CPE at 1.5 per hour, and a slight increase in the upper river to 0.5 YOY per hour. The increase in CPE on the upper river is not really significant as it reflects the capture of only two young musky rather than one the year before. None of the YOY captured in 2006 exhibited the fin clip done to 2005 stocked musky. Here again is evidence of natural reproduction. In addition, several two year old musky were captured in 2006 that came from a non-stocked year in 2004. It was decided that sampling for YOY musky should be concentrated more on the lower New for the next two years where natural reproduction appeared to be much more significant.

There was a slight drop in YOY CPE on the lower New in 2007 to 1.2 per hour. But as in 2005, all 25 fish were the result of natural reproduction since no stockings took place in 2006. CPE remained the same on the upper river but again, only two YOY were caught there.

A dramatic increase in the number of YOY musky collected took place below Claytor Lake in 2008, all the way to West Virginia. Young fish were found in high numbers at almost every sampling location for a CPE of 7.7 per hour. The most significant thing about this was that only three fish exhibited the pink elastomer mark and fin clip of the 2007 stocked musky. The rest of the more than 100 YOY were wild fish. Only one short sample was done above Claytor and no musky were seen.

Adult musky were captured and/or observed each year of the investigation. Adult CPE had been slowly increasing on the lower river but then dropped significantly in 2008. Sampling conditions were poor for adult collections in 2008 as the
water was low and extremely clear for most of the sample dates. Large musky tend to remain more in the middle of the river under these conditions and they are not easily sampled there. They can also easily avoid the electric field when the water is clear and they can see
the boat from a distance. CPE on the upper river decreased each year on the upper river but was most likely the result of the decrease in sampling effort there. The most abundant size group of adult fish observed on both sections of the New has been fish in the mid to upper 30 inch range. However, musky up to 45 inches were routinely seen.

Current Population Status

The New River, particularly the reach from Claytor Dam downstream to West Virginia, has been and remains today, the premier destination to fish for large musky in Virginia. Anglers have registered 361 citation size musky (40 inches or 15 pounds)
over the last eleven years, including eight over 50 inches (Table 4). The present state record, a 53 inch, 45.5 pound giant, was caught in the lower New June 1, 2007. Based on the weight of eggs taken from a 39 pound musky sacrificed during the joint VT/DGIF study, this female musky undoubtedly would have weighed over 50 pounds back in the spring during spawning
season.

Almost half of the registered citation musky were caught during the May through July time period. The coldest months of December through January produced the second highest total of citation fish. Many large musky are caught by smallmouth anglers throughout the year, but the majority of the winter citations are registered by dedicated musky anglers fishing the river pretty much by themselves. March and September are the two months when the lowest number of citations are registered from the New. During March there is a migration from winter holes to spawning areas, and in September, the migration is back to their winter holes. It becomes difficult for anglers to find the moving fish during those months.

This high rate of angler harvest was one of the main reasons that the size limit was raised to 42 inches in 2006. Almost 50% of the citations were for fish under 42 inches and it is a good thing that those size musky are now protected from harvest. Up to about 40 inches or so, musky grow more in length than weight, but from there on up they really pack on the pounds and become true trophy fish.

Musky natural reproduction was first documented in 2005, and verified in 2007 and 2008. Natural reproduction by musky in the lower New produced an outstanding year class of young fish in 2007. Aquatic weed beds and backwater eddies covered in leaves are prime spawning areas for musky and the lower New has these habitats in great abundance. The question remains as to whether or not natural reproduction alone can maintain the musky population at its present level in the lower New. Although winter musky sampling has not yet been as frequent on the upper river, spring bass, sunfish, and walleye sampling has not shown musky reproduction to be significant upstream of Claytor Lake.

A couple of weeks after this report was written, we spent almost two hours electrofishing two sections of the lower New in order to collect adult brood fish for Buller Hatchery. All total, close to 30 adult musky (up to approximately 30 pounds) and eight YOY were collected in that short time.

Management Recommendations

The 2008 lower New River musky stocking should be cancelled due to the finding of an extremely abundant 2007 year class. Natural reproduction in 2007 should be able to support the fishery without stocking in 2008. Fin clips collected from sampled musky in 2007 and 2008 should be genetically analyzed at Virginia Tech to determine if a unique native stock of musky exists in the New River. Intensive sampling should continue on the lower New during January and February 2009, to continue documentation of natural reproduction. The results of that sampling and the genetic research should be used to develop a long term stocking plan for the lower river. One idea is to base whether to stock and the number to stock on winter surveys of the abundance of the previous years YOY portion of the fishery. Consideration should be given to always stocking advanced fingerlings of at least nine inches to increase the chance of survival. Smaller musky are too easily preyed upon immediately after stocking.

The 650 musky to be stocked in the upper New River in 2008 should be grown to advanced fingerling size as they were in 2007. Those to be stocked in 2009 should also be grown to advanced fingerling size prior to stocking, and also marked in some way to
facilitate an investigation into quantifying natural reproduction. Surveys should occur during the winter of 2009 as time allows, but intensive sampling needs to be a priority in 2010 to look for the marked individuals stocked in 2009.

Gauley Season Dates/Release Schedule 2011

GAULEY RIVER
DATES FRI SAT SUN MON TARGET FLOW
Sep 9-12 7:00- 1:00 6:00- 2:00 6:00- 2:00 7:00- 1:00 2800 cfs
Sep 16-19 7:00- 1:00 6:00- 3:00 6:00- 3:00 7:00- 2:00 2800 cfs
Sep 23-26 7:00- 1:00 6:00- 2:00 6:00- 2:00 7:00- 1:00 2800 cfs
Sep 30-Oct 3 7:00- 1:00 6:00- 2:00 6:00- 2:00 7:00-1:00 2800 cfs
Oct 7-10 7:00- 1:00 6:00- 2:00 6:00- 2:00 7:00- 1:00 2800 cfs
Oct 15-16 6:00- 2:00 6:00- 2:00 ----- 2800 cfs


Note for Summersville:

Summersville will draw-down to 1520 feet in early November 2011. This will result in extra releases between September 19th - October 3rd and the first week in November. (potentially 2800 cfs all day)

Special Info for Gauley River:
An extra hour of releases is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th of Gauley Fest weekend, and Monday, September 19th of Race Day.

FISHING: Oct 11-30, the scheduled release is 250-700 cfs all day, excluding October 15th and and 16th. Fish Stocking on week beginning Oct 11. Due to periodic inspection, flows will be in the upper end of the releases.

FILMING WINDOW: Recommend weeks of September 19th - October 3rd and first week of November.

NOVEMBER PLANNED RELEASES: Approximately 2800 cfs the first week of November 2011. The last three weeks of November, return to minimum flow until winter pool is achived.

Bridge Day

Bridge Day

West Virginia's largest one-day festival, celebrated on the third Saturday in October, commemorates the October 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. The first official Bridge Day was celebrated in 1980.

Join tens of thousands of visitors as you walk across the longest, single-span steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere, and take in the views from 876 feet up in the air.

NOTE: Pets, bicycles, carts, and strollers are not permitted on the bridge during Bridge Day. Coolers, packages, and large packs or satchels will not be permitted on the bridge for security reasons.

One of America's Top One Hundred Festivals
The 3,030-foot New River Gorge Bridge took three years to complete and cost nearly $37 million. Because of the chosen arch design, and the depth of the gorge, steel was moved into position by trolleys running on three inch diameter cables stretched between two 330-foot towers. More than 88 million pounds of steel are incorporated. Michael Baker Jr., Inc. was the design engineer company for the structure, which was built by the American Bridge Division of US Steel. Its cor-ten steel will never need painting. The span arches across the New River, among the oldest rivers in North America, considered to be America's best whitewater.

Take A Flying Leap
Jumpers will gladly accommodate that request on Bridge Day, their annual convention. BASE stands for building, antenna, span, earth -- the fixed objects from which these jumpers leap. Since it's only a few seconds from bridge rail to splash down, jumping requires a well-orchestrated team of water-safety, communications and emergency personnel.

Oh, What a Dangled Web
Beneath the bridge's unseen catwalk dangle expert rappellers who resemble so many spiders weaving a web. Our Bridge Day trolls practice well-honed skills with the breathtaking gorge as their backdrop.

These Boots Are Made For Walking
No skill required, no experience necessary. The bridge is open today only for your walking pleasure. Join the Hillbilly Hikers at the northernmost booth for an official VOLKSWALK. Two well-marked walks take you across the bridge into historic Fayetteville or deep into the gorge and back.

Great Entertainment
The historic Fayetteville Theater offers lively entertainment at 8 p.m. every weekend evening. Call the Chamber of Commerce visitor center for details.

Bridge Day Information
For more information about Bridge Day events, contact the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-927-0263. or visit PRO River Outfitters Website

WVDNR Regulations

WVDNR Announces Public Meetings in March to Discuss Proposed Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Regulations
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold 12 public meetings across the state in March to provide hunters, trappers, anglers, landowners and other interested parties an opportunity to review and comment on proposed 2011 hunting regulations for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, boar and black bear, proposed 2012-2013 general hunting and trapping regulations, and proposed 2012 fishing regulations. These meetings will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. on March 14 and March 15, and the public is encouraged to attend.

“Again this year, these meetings have been designed to use an ‘Open House’ format,” said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. “This informal meeting style allows people to attend at their convenience during the scheduled meeting times, learn of proposed regulation changes, discuss these proposals with wildlife and fisheries biologists and Natural Resource Police Officers and comment on the proposed regulations and other wildlife-related issues.”

As in the past, written comments from the public on these proposed hunting, trapping and fishing regulations will also be encouraged. The deadline for written comments is April 8, 2011. Anyone interested in attending the meetings scheduled in their areas should note the following list of meeting dates and locations:

Monday, March 14, 2011

Fairmont – East Fairmont High School (Commons Area)
Martinsburg – James Rumsey Technical Institute (Cafeteria)
Summersville – Summersville High School
Lewisburg – Brier Inn Hotel (Conference Room)
Milton – West Virginia Pumpkin Park (4-H Building)
Harrisville – North Bend State Park

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Glen Dale – John Marshall High School
Moorefield – Moorefield Middle School (Cafeteria)
Buckhannon – Buckhannon-Upshur High School
Mullens – Twin Falls Resort State Park (Lodge)
Logan – Chief Logan State Park (Conference Center)
Parkersburg – City Building Lobby

**DNR**

New River Gorge Bridge

The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel-arch bridge, near Fayetteville, West Virginia, United States. With a length of 3,030 feet, it was for many years the longest in the world of that type. It is now the third largest arch bridge in the world. Its arch extends 1,700 feet. Part of U.S. Route 19, it is crossed by an average of 16,200 motor vehicles per day. Its construction marked the completion of Corridor L. In 2005the structure was further immortalized when a depiction of the span was placed on the West Virginia state quarter.

The New River Gorge Bridge carries US 19 over the New River at a height of 876 feet making it the second highest vehicular bridge in the Americas (behind the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which bypasses the Hoover Dam), and the fifth highest in the world. Before the 2004 opening of the Millau Viaduct in France, it was the highest in the world. Several suspension bridges in China have since surpassed them. The current record holder is the Si Du River Bridge which opened in November 2009 and currently has 1,549 feet of clearance above the river of that name.

Construction began on the bridge in June 1974, and completed on October 22, 1977. It was designed by the Michael Baker Company, under the direction of Chief Engineer Clarence V. Knudsen, and executed by U.S. Steel's American Bridge Division. Final cost of construction was $37 million (approximately $4 million over bid). It is made from COR-TEN steel. The use of COR-TEN in construction presented several challenges; notable among them was ensuring that the weld-points weathered at the same rate as the rest of the steel.

Many locals say, with little exaggeration, that completion of the bridge cut the travel time from one side of the gorge to the other from 45 minutes to 45 seconds.

The bridge is the centerpiece of Fayette County's "Bridge Day", during which the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic. Until recently, the bridge was half-open, with two way traffic. Security concerns have prompted the closing of the entire span to vehicles during the festival. This festival includes demonstrations of rappelling, ascending and BASE jumping, and is held every October on the third Saturday. Bungee jumping has been banned from Bridge Day since 1993. The bridge is within the New River Gorge National River and the National Park Service operates a visitor center at the northern end of the bridge with scenic overlooks and a staircase that descends partially into the gorge. A Bridge Walk catwalk two feet wide runs the full length of the bridge underneath the roadway and a considerable fee is charged to walk the quarter mile with safety rigging.

Guided Catwalk tours are now available daily for $69.00 per person;
visit www.profishwv.com for more information

New River Gorge Fun Info

The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service established in 1978 to protect 53 miles (85 km) of the New River and its gorge in southern West Virginia. The area encompasses more than 70,000 acres along and near the New River between Hinton, WV, in the south, and Ansted, WV, in the north.

Designation as a "national river" is conferred by the NPS to rivers of significant national value, culturally and naturally, among which the New River is prominent. National rivers are managed by the National Park Service, in the same manner and with the same goals as national parks. Thirty-nine national river areas are preserved in the U.S., including the nearby Bluestone National Scenic River and Gauley River National Recreation Area, though these latter national river areas are somewhat differently defined. The National Park Service headquarters for the New River Gorge National River are located in Glen Jean, WV. All three national river areas are managed through the Glen Jean headquarters.

Cultural History
Though largely uninhabited today, the New River Gorge was once among the most active coal mining regions in West Virginia. Thousands of miners lived with their families in small towns throughout the gorge. As the process of mining coal became more mechanized, and as accessible coal seams near the gorge were mined out, employment in the industry gradually dwindled. Most mining communities in the gorge were abandoned by the mid-1900s and exist today only as ghost towns. The National Park Service has preserved and interpreted relics of the region's industrial heritage at several sites within the gorge. Park visitors are invited to tour interpreted sites at Thurmond, one of the major shipping points in the gorge along the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad.

Recreation
A large part of the popularity of the national parkland of the New River Gorge is due to the fame of the New River as a whitewater stream. Thousands of vacationers secure commercial whitewater rafting trips on the river annually while thousands more kayak or explore its rapids in other whitewater-worthy craft. Only the lower third of the river within the park is a whitewater stream: it's upper thirds are generally far more gentle, ideal for leisurely float trips and canoe expeditions. The gorge is also well known as a destination for rock climbing. Thousands of climbers tour the cliffs of the northern gorge each year. Hiking and biking trails also attract thousands of visitors annually, and new hiking trails. Fishing is popular on the river and in many of its tributary streams, and the New River has been cited as being among the best warm-water fisheries in the eastern U.S. Hunting is also popular within the park, though it is disallowed in areas near developed park service facilities such as camping areas and visitor centers.

Visitor Centers
The National Park Service operates four visitor centers in the territory of the New River Gorge National River. The Sandstone Visitor Center and Canyon Rim Visitor Center are open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., except on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Thanksgiving Day. The Thurmond Depot and Grandview Visitor Center operate seasonally from June until August: the depot is open seasonally from 10 a.m. until to 5 p.m.; Grandview, from noon to 5 p.m.

Camping
The National Park Service operates six primitive campgrounds and two special-use group campgrounds within the territory of the New River Gorge National River. Back-country camping is also available.

Fees, Permits & Reservations
No entrance fees are charged at the New River Gorge National River or for the use of its facilities. Reservations, however, must be made for the use of some facilities, including picnic shelters, such as those at Grandview, Burnwood, or Dun Glen. Permits may be required for commercial and non-commercial group activities within the park, including weddings, film making, and guided tours of 10 or more participants.




Earlier efforts to establish the New River Gorge National Park
Local efforts to establish the New River Gorge National Park began as early as 1959, when a proposal was advanced during hearings before the Senate Special Committee on Unemployment, chaired by Sen. Jennings Randolph. A formal study, conducted the following year, concluded the New River Gorge was unsuitable for such a national park due to the man-made development that had occurred within the gorge, which first began during the 1870s. Circa 1960, coal was still being mined in the gorge, a few of the coal mining towns of the New River Gorge were still occupied, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's line through the gorge was active, hauling freight and transporting passengers. Again, in 1961, the Fayette County Court, acting in regards to the Federal Area Redevelopment Act, officially recommended the establishment of a New River Gorge National Park, calling it "by far the greatest recreational opportunity in southern West Virginia."

The construction of the New River Gorge Bridge acted as catalyst for renewed efforts to establish the New River Gorge National Park during the period of 1973-1977, and the concept enjoyed wide support among state and local elected and civil leaders as well as popular support among the general populace. A five-month study of the New River Gorge by the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation (BOR) in 1975 concluded that "the cumulative effects of the man-made developments in the gorage are sufficient justification for not establishing the New River Gorge as a... National Park." The study was the result an amendment sponsored by Sen. Robert Byrd in 1974. That same year, Sen. Randolph introduced a bill to create the New River Gorge National Park, but the bill did not reach the Senate floor.

The original vision of the ill-fated efforts of the 1970s for the park was to include the 66 mile long stretch of the New River Gorge between Bluestone Dam, near Hinton, in Summers County, to Gauley Bridge, in Fayette County. One proposal would have included Hawks Nest State Park, Babcock State Park, Grandview State Park, Canyon Rim State Park and Sandstone Falls State Park in the proposed park.