On February 4, 2002, our Chapter signed an agreement to adopt a trout stream on private property on a one-year trial basis. Subsequently, a significant amount of stream improvement work was undertaken, and TU members who have fished in the stream have reported considerable success. The following is a status report of our Chapter's initial 6-months involvement with the adopted stream:

l. Stream Improvement.

a. Work began on March 2, 2002, following receipt of approval of the project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A section of the stream 450' long, with serious erosion problems at several sites, had been identified previously as the initial target area in need of riparian improvement for the first work day. The 43 volunteers installed rock cribs, cedar revetments, root wads, bio-logs, matting and planting (red dogwood and willow shoots, and grass) to stabilize the banks and limit further erosion. b. Following the lifting of the ban imposed by the Commonwealth of Virginia on conducting any work in rainbow trout streams during the period of March 15 - May 15, the second work day was held on May 25, 2002. The plan which was followed envisioned extending the anti-erosion and stabilization efforts begun in March in a downstream direction, and carrying them across the other principal landowner's property line, using natural materials to the extent possible. Twenty volunteers from the Chapter turned out, and installed additional cedar revetments with rip-rap footings. The workers also graded and matted more of the badly impaired stream banks.

c. A third productive work day was held on June 8, 2002. A total of 27 volunteers completed a series of cedar revetments, emplaced root wads, installed bio-logs and matting to provide protection to endangered bank areas, and planted grass to stabilize the sloped banks. Rip-rap was applied to safeguard exposed trees and to divert the stream flow away from threatened banks.

d. No large-scale work days were scheduled during the summer months. A decision was made to defer further work until the cooler weather in the fall, when planting could again be undertaken. However, one mini-work day was held on a summer week day to install a cedar revetment. Another similar effort is anticipated before the large-scale work days on Saturdays resume in the fall.

ll. Fishing. The adopted portion of the stream was made available to managed fishing by TU members on April 1, 2002. Since that date, anglers have reported catching trout ranging in length from 5" to 12 1/4", with larger catches produced during the summer months. The presence of multi-year classes of trout is encouraging, as it is indicative of a healthy population. Based upon the desires of the landowners, no more than 4 TU members may be on the property, and no more than 2 of them may fish, at any one time. Authorization to fish is provided via email whenever possible for the date and time window requested. There have been no significant problems related to fishing by TU members to date, nor no known instances involving trespassing on the private property by non-TU individuals for purposes of fishing.

Beautiful 'During' and 'After' mat work.

lll. The Future.

a. Periodic work days on Saturdays will be scheduled in the fall and beyond, to continue the installation of bank stabilization and counter-erosion stream improvement devices. Slightly less than one-half the length of the adopted portion has undergone improvement to date. Fishing will continue for interested TU members.

b. When our one-year trial adoption period expires next winter, the Chapter hopes that the agreement with the landowners will be rewritten to reflect the permanent adoption by the Chapter of the length of stream which is currently under provisional adoption.

c. Looking further into the future, a desirable longer-term goal would be to extend our adoption of the stream downstream, ultimately to its confluence with the Potomac.

lV. Conclusion. Thanks to the support of all the conservation-minded volunteers who contributed their time and labor to this project in its first six months, the Chapter has gotten off to a superb start, not only in improving the degraded stream but in demonstrating to the landowners the strength of our commitment to help preserve the resident trout population on their property, enhance their habitat, and to honor our signed agreement. For their part, the generosity of the landowners in reimbursing some of the Chapter's outlays for purchasing materials and services for the restoration project, as well as providing reimbursement for the total cost of the work day barbecues, have had a highly positive effect on our commitment to continue and to complete the process of improving the degraded stream in order to help preserve its unique trout population.