Ischua/Communal

DEC Adjusts Trout Stocking in Ischua Creek After Cheese Plant Discharge Killed Fish

New York's Department of Environmental Conservation announced a revised 2026 stocking plan for Ischua Creek after organic waste discharges from the Great Lakes Cheese facility caused a major fish and wildlife die-off in August 2025. To let the stream's food web recover, DEC is pausing trout stocking in the hardest-hit stretch between the Farmersville/Franklinville town line and Five Mile Road, while continuing to stock unaffected sections near Baxter Hill Road and Dutch Hill Road. Roughly 3,867 nine-inch and 430 twelve-inch trout are planned for the creek overall this year. DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the approach aims to balance anglers' interests with giving the fishery time to rebuild before full stocking resumes.