Monday, February 6, 2023
Gathering of The Nor’East Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Speaker at 7:00pm – with Chris Jackson and Kevin Parsons. Chris and Kevin will be presenting via Zoom from Charlemont, MA. “A New Beginning for the Deerfield River – A New Federal Energy Regulatory Commission License and What it Means for the Deerfield”
Dinner at 6:00pm Kenny and Mike are cooking spiral ham with Baked Beans and potatoes. $5.00 Donation.
The Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited has successfully negotiated for increased wintertime minimum flows for the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Fife Brook/Bear Swamp facility on the upper Deerfield. This presentation will touch upon the work, the science, and the strategy that carried the day as well as the the positive impacts on the river that this agreement will provide, such as increased spawning success, increased habitat, better hatches, and a chance to turn the upper Deerfield into a Wild Trout Management Area (WMA).
Upon completion the presentation, Chris and Kevin will be pleased to answer questions regarding the fishery itself from a guide’s perspective.
Christopher Jackson is a fly fishing guide, writer, and conservationist. Christopher has been featured on the fishing show, On The Water TV, and has written articles that have appeared in Fly Fisherman and On The Water magazine. He is a founding board member and former Vice-President of the Deerfield Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited. He has spent the last ten years on the TU negotiation team for the new FERC license for the Fife Brook Dam/Bear Swamp Pump Storage facilities on the upper Deerfield. Christopher resides in Charlemont, MA, and spends most of the season guiding on the Deerfield, the Hoosic, the Swift, and the Connecticut Rivers. His website is Chrisjacksonflyfishing.com.
Kevin Parsons is a founding board member of the Deerfield Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited, as well as a former President of the chapter. Kevin was instrumental in fundraising efforts that helped finance our Brown Trout Spawning Study – a study that provided critical data on wild trout spawning in the Deerfield River, and the deleterious impact of the flow regime from Brookfield Energy’s Fife Brook Dam on spawning efforts. Kevin was also part of the FERC negotiating team for TU that successfully completed the new FERC license for the Fife Brook/Bear Swamp facility – resulting in new wintertime minimum flow increases to protect trout spawning areas on the upper Deerfield. Kevin has recently joined the board of Keep Fish Wet.At 7:00pm following the dinner and the raffle organized by Bob Torkildsen, Chris and Kevin will present via Zoom. If you are unable to attend in person at IRWA, a Zoom link will be provided for you in the newsletter. Click here.