What a challenging year for monitoring the two FATC creek locations we are responsible for: Bonhomme Creek and Calvey Creek.
May 21, 2022. Calvey Creek.
Mike Chambers, Al Harper, Ken Welter, Mark Robert and myself Harold Bates met at Robertsville State Park to monitor Calvey Creek. The weather was not cooperating; rain was coming down so hard we were unable to access the creek. We abandoned the creek and left.
June 4, 2022. Bonhomme Creek.
Nine FATC members met at Babler State Park to monitor two locations on Bonhomme Creek. Mike Chambers lead a team of Alan Blair, Steve Baker and Dave Rodecap to the Pond Ball Field location. Paul Jacoby, Peter Harre, Jim Peterson, Chris Roth and myself went to the Highway BA location. Summer drought had left the water levels of both locations very low. The water very clear and clean and the sensitive macroinvertebrates we found gave the two locations an excellent report for Bonhomme Creek.
October 8, 2022. Calvey Creek.
Seven FATC members met at Robertsville State Park to monitor Calvey Creek. Kenny Klimes, Mike Bisaga, Mike Chambers, Al Harper, Ken Welter, Don McCain and myself followed Chambers down the 1/3 mile hike to the creek. Summer drought struck again with tall weeds and undergrowth making it difficult to walk. Throw in thorns, camouflage barbed wire, and branches hitting you from all directions the 1/3 mile turned into ½ mile or more. Finally we found the creek and what a change from a year ago. Flooding had washed huge trees into the channel and the summer drought made for NO FLOW at all in the creek. Kenny held class on the bugs we were finding and was selling all of us on the fly tying classes through FATC. Mike Bisaga did the chemical survey on the water explaining everything to all of us and what the results were. Even with all the silt and algae that was found, Calvey Creek still came out with a good grade. The consensus after the hike back up the hill to the cars was to replace Calvey Creek with a more easily accessible location. A fellowship lunch was enjoyed by all to end the trip.
November 5, 2022. Bonhomme Creek.
The last Stream Team Event for the year was at Babler State Park to monitor Bonhomme Creek’s two locations. New member and volunteer Alan Hautly emailed the night before with news of the annual deer hunt taking place and that Babler Park would be closed on the day of our monitoring. A new meeting place location was emailed to all the volunteers to meet at Babler Elementary. Eight FATC members showed up and we split into two teams. Mike Chambers took Jim Craig, Alan Blair and Ken Welter to the Pond Ball Field location and Mike Oldani, Derrick Kassebaum and Alan Hautly went to the Highway BA location with me. Previous rain had given us over two inches of rain and we found plenty of flow and riffles to start bug hunting and performing the other monitoring surveys on the creek. Plenty of macroinvertebrates were found and identified, and along with the chemical and flow rate tests, resulted in a very good report from both locations.
Next year I hope to have a new location from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for the FATC Stream Team to monitor that will replace Calvey Creek. I learned a lot this year with more to learn. A BIG Thank You to all the FATC Stream Team Volunteers who came out to help. I extend an invitation to all FATC members to come out and fellowship and get up close to what is going on under the water that makes us all better Fly Fishermen and do great service helping to monitor and maintain water quality in Missouri.
