The Suffolk County News - January 22, 2009
OAKDALE — As the Connetquot River State Park Preserve fish hatchery lies dormant, the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and the Office of Preservation, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Friends of Connetquot and anglers are awaiting recommendations from a consulting firm.
HDR FishPro, an Omaha, Nebraska-based firm that specializes in fisheries resource biology and engineering, hatchery design, fish passage and barrier design, and aquatic ecosystem restoration, according to its Web site, was expected to present its findings to the state Parks Department in mid-January, according to John Kowalchyk, the Parks Department deputy director for the Long Island Region.
In September, the Parks Department and the DEC decided to close the fish hatchery, located at the Park Preserve, on Dec. 31 due to the incidence of infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) that appears to be endemic only to immature trout and not harmful to humans.
“Parks is trying to be responsible and reasonable,” said Kowalchyk, who noted that local information has IPN occurring at the same rate of 15 percent for the past 60 years, he said in the course of research that it is quite possible that IPN began infecting Connetquot River trout in the late 1970s or early ‘80s.
There was supposed discussion of operating the fish hatchery under a limited permit, however, that is not happening, according to Charles Guthrie, the DEC’s regional fisheries manager.
“We are working with Parks to develop a plan to move forward with the hatchery,” said Guthrie, who noted the hatchery is currently closed and all the fish were released at the end of last month.
Kowalchyk said that once the recommendations are received from HDR FishPro, Parks and the DEC will develop a “plan of action” looking at time frames and budgets and decide what components of those recommendation to implement during the spring summer and fall.
There was a plan proposed in the fall, for the Parks Department to oversee a clean up of the hatchery that would have included sterilization, draining the three primary holding ponds and disinfecting the hatchery. That plan would have cost less than $5,000, according to state officials.
However, groups such as Friends of Connetquot, a fundraising organization for the Park preserve, and others such as Assemblywoman Ginny Fields (D-Oakdale) are seeking to maintain the hatchery due to its positive impact on the environment, area fishing and its educational value.
“It has been a big problem asking them to at least think about it,” Fields said in regard to having Parks and the DEC keep the hatchery open. “No one seemed to care that it is on the National Register.” Community-minded groups such as the Oakdale Civic Association have implemented a letter-writing campaign to get their point across.
Noting that he has spoken to multiple involved groups such as Trout Unlimited, Long Island Flyrodder and Friends of Connetquot, Kowalchyk said that they are seeking a resolution that would possibly eliminate IPN in both the hatchery and the Connetquot River “to the extent it is practical.”
The Park Preserve runs along 3,743 acres in and around Oakdale, Bohemia, Islip Terrace and Central Islip, and features the hatchery, the historical Southside Sportsmen’s Club building, the restored Grist Mill and is considered home to old growth trees.