VIDEO: Catch & Cook in the Backwoods of the Adirondacks

In the 1930s, for $8, you could take to the skies and reach Lakes, rather than trudge through the wilderness on miles long hikes from the nearest dirt road. Remote waters were a hit among anglers until the 1950s when many lakes transformed into a symbol of environmental degradation due to the devastating effects of acid rain caused by coal-burning power plants to the west. This “chemical warfare” turned once-teeming waters into lifeless reservoirs with the eeriness of cemeteries.

The lake’s glacial till acted as a limited shield against acid deposition, leading to a collapse in pH levels that couldn’t sustain aquatic life, ultimately causing the tragic demise of the brook trout in hundreds of lakes. Acid rain leached aluminum from the soil, and as these compounds accumulated in the fry’s gills, it led to an excess production of mucus that eventually suffocated them.

Many of these lakes were home to physically isolated unique genetic strains of brook trout, wild fish full of character that signify the essence of the Adirondacks. These speckled trout were the descendants that first inhabited waters 10,000 years ago as glaciers receded. However, with raining pollutants, native trout could no longer seek refuge in hard to reach higher-altitude ponds.

Thankfully, the Clean Air Act amendments in 1972 and 1990 inspired partly from news of Adirondack lakes, brought about a reduction in pollutants and an opportunity for pH recovery back into the preferred range above 5.5. Some ponds rejuvenated naturally, while others required treatment with powdered limestone.

The plight of these bodies of water was well-documented in the November 1981 issue of National Geographic, reaching a readership over 25 million, which included subscribers and individuals waiting in doctors’ and dentists’ offices or at school libraries before the age of smartphone distractions.

In many instances, domestic brook trout or the more tolerant temiscamie hybrid, a cross between a domestic brook trout and a wild Temiscamie (Canadian-strain) brook trout would be restocked. The hybrid was more tolerant of the higher acidic waters.

While in other waters local native strains that survived like the Heritage Horn Lake, Little Tupper and Windfall strain were stocked. Some of these lakes are still struggling to recover while others have since recovered to the point that they support natural spawning, offering a hopeful vision of a future where they may never need artificial restocking again, ensuring that native brook trout descendants could always call the Adirondacks home.

—–

October, 2023 visit with @trustintimer – Professional content posted @weatherwool

David Alexander is a professional outdoor guide and conservation biologist.  He enjoys making nature more accessible to people and wildlife.  You can follow him at www.natureintoaction.com