Prospect Lake Fish and Turtle Rescue In mid-November 2009, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation drained a section of the northeast end of Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn to allow for the planned restoration of the shore over the winter. A cofferdam was built and as the water in the dammed section was pumped out, the Natural Resources Crew undertook a fish and turtle rescue project, netting and measuring them before releasing them into the lake on the other side of the dam.

Photos by Jessica M. DiCicco, Science Coordinator, Natural Resources Crew, Prospect Park Alliance (Hold mouse over photo to pause slide changes.)

NYTTS volunteers stood by, waiting for turtles...

During the final draining (November 18–20), NYTTS volunteers Lesley Brunelle, Abby and Lorri Cramer, Jack Gambino, John McQuillan, and Jim Van Abbema stood by and waited for turtles. Some of us even donned waders and ventured into the mud! In a very small section drained two weeks earlier before NYTTS was on hand, a map turtle (pictured in the slide show left) had been found and released. It was later identified as a Texas map turtle (this little guy was a long way from home!).

Several species of fish were rescued, measured, and released—including large-mouth bass, perch, sunfish, bluegills, and an occasional catfish. Alas, our waiting and watching turned up no more turtles, but would we do it again, even if no turtles were found? I think we’d all say yes—great weather (except for some rain on Thursday) and the great company of an enthusiastic Natural Resources Crew made the adventure more than worthwhile!

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Fish and Turtle Rescue in Prospect Park, March 12–16, 2012

(Hold mouse over photo to pause slide changes.)

As a continuation of the work performed in a nearby section of Prospect Park Lake in November 2009, a cofferdam was again installed so the water could be drawn down to allow work to be done in areas that are usually inundated. During the week fish and turtles had been captured from the drained area and moved back into the lake proper. Litter from the exposed lakebed was also removed.

On Thursday four volunteers from NYTTS—Jack Gambino, Roberta Raeburn, Judy Stivelband, and Jim Van Abbema— partici­pated in the Fish and Turtle Rescue efforts. No turtles were brought out on Thursday, but a few Red-eared Sliders had been found ear­lier in the week. Fish—large-mouth bass, bluegills, and sunfish—were netted, mea­sured, and returned to the lake.