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Show Wafler rises, tfish improve ai F laming Gorge reservior by BillKarr Lucerne Valley Marina - According to Lee Morrison, Engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation, the most recent reports indicate the Flaming Gorge Reservoir will this year attain theelevation of 6,035.79 feet, the highest level since July of 1976, and fishing should also improve. Last year the lake reached a maximum level of 6,021.4 feet Presently the level is at 6,013.80 feet and rising at the rate of between 3 and 4 inches a day for the next month or more, at which time it will begin to slow. It should peak at 6,035.79 feet, only 4.21 feet below the reservoirs maximum capacity of 6,040 feet. The last time that elevation was attained was back in 1975. Fluctuations in the elevation of the Flaming Forge Reservoir are normal, and a variation of 12 feet or so doesn't raise any eyebrows. As part of the Colorado River Storage Project the lake is part of an enormous, strung out system of reservoirs, and during the drought years of 1977 and 1978 the reservoir was substantially reduced in size, the present runoff is indicating the reservoir level will peak in mid or late July, less than two months away. The high water level will not only improve the asthetics of the Flaming Gorge by covering the "bathtub ring" that has been obvious along the shoreline, but it will improve the fishing considerably. According to Bruce Schmidt, Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources Biologist at Dutch John, the reflooding of a previously flooded area is not as dramatic as the new flooding of a lake area because many of the soild nutrients had been reached from the soil. Even so, an area left dry for a period of time does have some nutrients and vegetation. The vegetation provides refuge for small fish and as it breaks down and decomposes it provides food for bacteria and plankton growth. The nutrients and organic material are the basis for the lakes food chain, and one of the smallest denizens of the Flaming Gorge, the Copepod, is one of the largest food sources. Rainbows and Kokanee salmon both feed extensibely on this small crustacean. This expanded food source should help the fishing in the Flaming Gorge in a number of ways. First, as the water rises there will be more food immediately available and trout should gain weight. Second, there should be a higher survival rate among young fish, as they will have flooded vegetation to feed on and hide in. Third, with more water in the reservoir, there will be more room for the existing fish populations, lessening competition for food. The rising water may also cause a problem for the veteran Flaming Gorge fisherman. Favorite fishing areas that have produced well in the past may not produce at all with higher water. Trout may not find their food source in the deeper water or the temperature may not suit them. Machinaw runs that have produced for the past few years may not suit the fish as the runs may be below the thermocline or they may be in the wrong temperature.lt should prove interesting to see how the increased water level affects the different species of fish. One last thought to ponder. During the last high water era at the Flaming Gorge there was a string of monster brown trout caught, including the world record. Whether high water was one of the factors that helped the fish gain weight and become trophy class is unknown, but it is something to keep in mind next time you're trolling along a rocky shoreline at sunrise. r .- '-.. r -V .-v ' '" ' ,. ; t . . '. '-' ? - , a . ' ?.- " s.O -. '..'. . r---,-' ' i r;j Up c-i-.-T ' , r-, i -A A : i W i s-4'. . -JL-.ilLLi-aJ - - I is i- . A ' - i ff't I y, I j r i f fA i , v x ri r JW ' 'r f .Z:' 1 '... ' ,".,,!' i RIBBON CUTTING at Painted Hills Estates grand opening was attended by Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce Dinah Mites. County Commissioner Roland Merkley did the honors of cutting the ribbon Thursday morning. Labrum Realty World is the promoter of the development develop-ment located approximately at 1500 North and 4507 West in the Coalmine Basin. This new 1 development has the potential of over 1,ooq i units. a u DAVIS AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is beginning beginn-ing to take shape with structural steel place- ment. The new school will serve the growing southeastern portion of Ashley Valley. |
