Volunteers In Parks (VIP) North Carolina fisheries coordinator Mike Kesselring recruits and organizes area residents to help with new water monitoring efforts on Deep Creek and Cataloochee Creek to collect water quality data, fish sampling, electro-shocking, brook trout restoration, stream clean-ups and other projects. Kesselring is working directly with GSMNP Supervisory Fisheries Biologist Matt
Kulp and his assistant Caleb Abramson. The Park's fisheries objectives focus on brook trout inventory and monitoring, brook trout genetics, native fish restoration, threatened and endangered fish reintroduction and monitoring, and long-term water quality monitoring. The Didymo project, a new park creel survey, and the Lynn Camp Prong brook trout restoration project are also on his list of objectives and accomplisments. As a result of the Park's seven-year brook trout restoration project, Lynn Camp Prong is now open to fishing. It marks the first time since the park’s creation in 1934 that fishing has been allowed in all park streams. Lynn Camp Prong was targeted for brook trout reintroduction as part of the Smokies’ long-range habitat restoration of the embattled species, which retains less than 5 percent of their native range in the Southeast. Park Biologists have determined that recreational fishing won’t harm brook trout populations. Mike is developing a list of folks to help collect water quality data 6 times a year along the length of the two streams. It is a great opportunity to collect some meaningful data, support the park's mission of protecting and preserving trout and their habitat, as well as getting out and enjoying Deep Creek and Cataloochee Creek. Let Mike know if you are interested in helping.
