Every day I see more images of massive flooding, washed out roads, collapsed bridges and the destruction that Tropical Storm Irene has brought upon the area. I know that the Catskills and Vermont got hit very bad, but it kills me to see all of the towns, roads, and hiking/camping destinations in the Adirondacks – my own backyard – that have been affected by the storm.
It looks like the Eastern High Peaks, Giant Mountain, and Dix Mountain Wilderness Areas will all be closed for Labor Day weekend due to storm damage. A few of the high peaks have new rock slides showing after the torrential downpours washed away large portions of the forest, and it looks like the bridge over Marcy Dam, as well as the entire Dam at Duck Hole, have been swept away with the raging water. The bridge on Adirondack Loj Road has also been washed out, and is impassible for the time being.
With all of the closed trails, and the cleanup effort in progress, I don’t know when I will be able to get in the woods again. There are several trees down in my parents yard in Lake Luzerne that need to be cleaned up. Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for them, this takes priority over me trying to enjoy myself in the outdoors.
While I keep those affected by the storm in my thoughts, I can’t help but wonder what these damages will do to our beloved trout streams. I know that both branches of the Ausable River, as well as the Battenkill and Mettawee are still dealing with intense flooding. I assume that most mountain streams and brooks reached and exceeded flood stage on Sunday.
How will this affect our trout waters? I assume that the fish felt the wrath of Irene as we did, but where can they go? Do the fish ‘evacuate’ to the nearest reservoir, lake or pond? I wonder if they can survive in the dirty, cloudy water that washouts and flooding brings.
I am greatly looking forward to fall trout fishing, but how will it be affected? Are there different techniques that work well in fast moving, dirty water? Surely if the fish are still there, they’ll need to eat!
