The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is conducting the survey that measures the river’s width, length, depth and discharge (amount of water that flows through it), cover shelter, habitat, quality of food supply for the fish such as insects, competing species and potential predators.

In addition, a portion of the trout will be killed and tested to uncover if IPN, a disease that appears to be endemic only to immature trout and not harmful to people, “is still endemic to the river,” according to Charles Guthrie, the DEC’s regional fisheries manager.

IPN was the cause for New York State Parks Department decision to close the nearly 150-year old fish hatchery at Connetquot River State Park Preserve last December.

The Park Preserve encompasses 3,743 acres that stretches from Oakdale through Bohemia, Islip Terrace and Central Islip. In addition to the hatchery, the Preserve features the historical Sportsmen club building, the restored Grist Mill and houses a considerable amount of old growth trees.

The closing of what community members, especially those belonging to the group Friends of Connetquot, hold dear as a historical, educational and recreational facility set off a firestorm of protest from when the decision was initially announced last fall. The fish hatchery is on the National Register of Landmarks.

“The way it effects the fish hatchery are the ultimate results of the survey in how many fish they need in the river to maintain the quality,” said Guthrie, who also noted that how many trout exist in the river, natural reproduction of the fish, and how many are caught by fishermen are also factors considered and placed into a DEC model that determines how many fish the river can hold and should by stocked for catching and hauling.

Previously, the trout in the river were tested at the same time of the year in 2007 and the test came up positive for IPN, according to Guthrie. There are less fish now and he said the disease may have weakened.

Based on local information, IPN has occurred at the identical rate of 15 percent for the past 60 years in juvenile trout or fingerlings. John Kowalchyk, the Parks Department deputy director for the Long Island Region, previously said that it is possible that IPN began infecting Connetquot River trout in the late 1970s or ‘80s. Based on information on the Friends of Connetquot Web site IPN was first confirmed through tests in 2006.

However, despite the IPN, many want the fish hatchery reopened viewing this facility a positive impact on the environment and area fishing as well as its educational value. The state parks department did not respond for comment by press time.

“The decision to close the hatchery is based on the presence of IPN, which is a virus that does not effect humans and is not even considered to be a reportable disease by the U.S. government, England and most states,” wrote Richard Remmer, the director of Friends of Connetquot in a December 2008 letter.

This survey will be done with aerial maps, GPS and GIS (geographic information systems), discharge of the river is measured through three U.S. Geological gauging stations that are considered “accurate” by Guthrie and overhead cover estimates are done the old fashioned way of “walking the river” he added.

“We are helping Parks move forward with the hatchery,”
said Guthrie, who noted that the survey should be completed by the end of this month with data analysis due by the middle of next month.