3 hours ago
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has unveiled plans to restock trout in Ischua Creek after a discharge last August caused a large-scale fish and wildlife die-off. Details on the discharge and penalties were previously reported.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton explained that trout stocking will be paused this year in the affected section of the stream—from the Farmersville/Franklinville town line downstream to Five Mile Road—to encourage natural recovery of fish and macroinvertebrate populations and to ensure sufficient food resources for trout in the long term. However, trout stocking will continue outside the impacted area in late March at locations including Baxter Hill Road, Mill Street (Ischua), Dutch Hill Road, Farwell Road, Kent Road, and Mill Street (Maplehurst).
For 2026, the projected stocking numbers for Ischua Creek are 3,867 trout measuring 9 inches and 430 trout measuring 12 inches.
"DEC continues to act in the best interest of the public and the resource regarding Ischua Creek," Lefton stated. "This stocking and habitat enhancement plan balances the recreational interests of anglers with the necessary time and resources to rehabilitate the fishery."
Last summer, during an investigation into water quality issues in Ischua Creek, DEC officials determined that organic waste discharges from Great Lakes Cheese were the primary cause of the fish and wildlife die-off.
