ONEONTA — The local chapter of Trout Unlimited will host a presentation Monday, June 8, examining how hundreds of road culverts across Otsego County affect the movement of fish and the health of local waterways.
The meeting of the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Sixth Ward Athletic Club in Oneonta. The event is open to members and the public.
Guest speaker Victoria Prouty, watershed coordinator for the Otsego County Conservation Association, will discuss findings from a recent culvert assessment project that evaluated stream crossings throughout the Otsego Lake, Canadarago Lake and Butternut Creek watersheds.
During the summer and fall of 2025, association staff and volunteers surveyed more than 400 culverts using assessment methods developed by the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative. The project examined whether road-stream crossings allow fish and other aquatic organisms to move freely through waterways or create barriers that fragment habitat and disrupt natural stream systems.
Prouty’s presentation will focus on the condition of local culverts, the importance of aquatic connectivity and how infrastructure design can influence watershed health.
A native of Sidney, Prouty earned bachelor’s degrees in environmental biology and geography from Colgate University before completing a master’s degree in biology at SUNY Oneonta. Her graduate research examined the shell morphology and feeding ecology of the wood turtle.
Since joining the Otsego County Conservation Association in 2025, she has worked on watershed planning, water quality initiatives, invasive species management and aquatic connectivity projects throughout the region.
The presentation will be followed by refreshments and the chapter’s raffle drawing.
For additional information about the meeting or membership in the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited, contact co-presidents Steve Eichler at 607-643-1516 or Tom Trelease at 607-434-7211.
