Avoid Building Rock Dams In Trout Streams And Here’s Why

Oh here I go again. Reminiscing about the fun and simple life I led as a child. Don't we all do that from time to time?

One of the most fun things I remember as a child during the summer months, was spending time swimming in the creek nearby our house along with some neighborhood friends and cousins.

We had our own 'secret' swimming hole of course. No one else knew it was there. Of course that's not a hard thing to keep secret when you live in the country and there's hardly anyone else living nearby.

The water was pretty cold, but we didn't mind. Those were some of my favorite childhood memories. A nice creek or stream swimming hole sure looks inviting on a hot summer day, but depending on the weather, your favorite place to swim might be a bit too dry to swim in.

Some may attempt to build up a pool of water in a creek or stream, by building rock dams. Well, as innocent as that may seem, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has advice when it comes to building rock dams with the intent of creating swimming holes.

Basically, it's not recommended. Why you ask? It's because that could have a detrimental impact  on trout streams. The NYS DEC notes that Trout are sensitive, cold-water fish that require cold, clean water to survive.

If the water temperature goes higher than 68 degrees, that's not good for trout because it could cause extreme stress, and 75 degrees and above can prove lethal. Best advise? Find somewhere else along the stream or creek that may have an adequate amount of water to swim in, or go find a swimming pool.