On Fri, 10 Nov 1995 cluce@fox.n wrote:
> I spoke to a few people about this issue a couple of years back. I wrote
> a small addendum to a report PCEI put together for the Paradise Creek
> Management Plan. My memory is a little hazy on the details, and the
> information is only anecdotal.
>
> In the 1930's, Paradise Creek regularly went dry in the summer. My Uncle,
> who lived on Paradise Creek at the time, mentioned that some kids would
> occasionally get trout out of Paradise Creek, but generally had better luck
> on the South Fork Palouse River. By the 1930's the substrate in Paradise
> Creek was pretty similar to the substrate today, mostly silt with some sand.
>
> The late 1940's apparently provided more water, but my father never
> caught any fish in Paradise Creek.
>
> Another resident who lived in Moscow in the 1970's and 1980's spoke of
> seeing kids with trout they caught from the South Fork of the Palouse. I
> bring up the South Fork, because if there are trout in the South Fork,
> there is sufficient source to seed Paradise Creek if the habitat is
> acceptable.
>
> Looking at the recent excavation for the channel reconstruction, there
> are extensive gravel deposits. The material is mostly granitics from
> Moscow Mountain, and it is clean - no silt or smaller fraction! I think
> there would have been more trout with those kind of substrate
> conditions. Current substrate only maintains communities of worms and
> similar invertebrates, and I don't know how well trout like those.
>
> I hope that helps.
>
> -Charlie
>
>
>