05-20-2004, 03:44 AM
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources recently completed its annual stocking of rainbow and brown trout into the lower Saluda River. This season's effort was aided by a $20,000 donation from South Carolina Electric and Gas Co.
[url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/sceg-awd.jpg"]![[Image: sceg-awd.gif]](http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/sceg-awd.gif)
[/url] "Our agency is very appreciative of SCE&G's interest in and contribution to this unique fishery," said Hal Beard, regional fisheries biologist for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based in Columbia.
Beginning in early December 2003 and continuing into April 2004, a total of 23,000 trout, ranging in size from 7 inches to more than 10 inches in length, were stocked. These fish were produced at the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery located in Oconee County.
The Saluda River below Lake Murray dam is unique because its popular trout fishery is essentially an artificial situation, according to Beard. Trout must be stocked there and can survive only because of the cold-water releases from the bottom of the Lake Murray dam. The DNR stocks trout each year in the Saluda in what it calls a "put, grow and take" fishery, which relies on stocking to maintain populations and the cooperation of anglers for success. Young trout grow rapidly if allowed to remain in the river.
For young trout to reach their potential, however, they must not be removed from the river immediately after stocking. If given time to grow, they can reach up to 16 inches, considered trophy size for this type of fishery. If trout are to reach this size, anglers must practice catch-and-release fishing, especially during the winter and early spring. Conservation officers with the DNR patrol the Saluda River in the winter and spring to hold down the number of over-the-limit trout catches.
South Carolina's trout fishery generates about $9 million annually for the state's economy in direct retail sales, with an estimated total economic output of more than $18 million, according to a study on the economic benefits of freshwater fishing in South Carolina. The effects of trout fishing can be felt in many segments of Upstate and Midlands communities, from motels and restaurants to gas stations and sporting goods stores.
The South Carolina DNR stocks more than 400,000 trout into public waters in the state's upcountry each year. The trout are stocked in more than 50 cold-water rivers and streams in Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties, in Lake Jocassee, and in the cool tailwaters below the Lake Hartwell and Lake Murray dams.
The Sport Fish Restoration program and fishing license revenue helped fund the Saluda River trout stocking. The Sport Fish Restoration program is a major funding source for South Carolina's freshwater fisheries' program, and it represents the return of excise taxes collected from the sale of fishing tackle. Funds are allocated to states based on their relative size and the number of licensed anglers.
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[url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/sceg-awd.jpg"]
[/url] "Our agency is very appreciative of SCE&G's interest in and contribution to this unique fishery," said Hal Beard, regional fisheries biologist for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based in Columbia. Beginning in early December 2003 and continuing into April 2004, a total of 23,000 trout, ranging in size from 7 inches to more than 10 inches in length, were stocked. These fish were produced at the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery located in Oconee County.
The Saluda River below Lake Murray dam is unique because its popular trout fishery is essentially an artificial situation, according to Beard. Trout must be stocked there and can survive only because of the cold-water releases from the bottom of the Lake Murray dam. The DNR stocks trout each year in the Saluda in what it calls a "put, grow and take" fishery, which relies on stocking to maintain populations and the cooperation of anglers for success. Young trout grow rapidly if allowed to remain in the river.
For young trout to reach their potential, however, they must not be removed from the river immediately after stocking. If given time to grow, they can reach up to 16 inches, considered trophy size for this type of fishery. If trout are to reach this size, anglers must practice catch-and-release fishing, especially during the winter and early spring. Conservation officers with the DNR patrol the Saluda River in the winter and spring to hold down the number of over-the-limit trout catches.
South Carolina's trout fishery generates about $9 million annually for the state's economy in direct retail sales, with an estimated total economic output of more than $18 million, according to a study on the economic benefits of freshwater fishing in South Carolina. The effects of trout fishing can be felt in many segments of Upstate and Midlands communities, from motels and restaurants to gas stations and sporting goods stores.
The South Carolina DNR stocks more than 400,000 trout into public waters in the state's upcountry each year. The trout are stocked in more than 50 cold-water rivers and streams in Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties, in Lake Jocassee, and in the cool tailwaters below the Lake Hartwell and Lake Murray dams.
The Sport Fish Restoration program and fishing license revenue helped fund the Saluda River trout stocking. The Sport Fish Restoration program is a major funding source for South Carolina's freshwater fisheries' program, and it represents the return of excise taxes collected from the sale of fishing tackle. Funds are allocated to states based on their relative size and the number of licensed anglers.
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