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Show Fishermen asked to report losses i Department of Fish and Game Biologists have been keeping a watchful eye on the oxygen content of many of Utah's reservoirs throughout the past long winter. Any severe lack of oxygen can cause loss of fish from suffocation. suf-focation. Recent water samples taken at Strawberry Reservoir indicated low oxygen content in the water and a possible fish loss. Any fish loss will be publicized publi-cized just as soon as they are noted and confirmed. In some higher elevation waters, fish losses may not be confirmed until after May 29 opening of the regular fishing season because be-cause of the access into these snowbound areas. Anyone noting such losses should report them to a local officer or to a regional fish and game office. Don Andriano, Department of Fish and Game Fisheries Chief, noted that winter suffocation suffo-cation losses are highest during dur-ing low water periods and extremes ex-tremes of weather such as during the past winter. He said they occur most often in what are called "Marginal" waters which are relatively shallow in depth, are subject to heavy drawdown ,have a heavy growth of aquatic plants, and where there is no adequate conservation pool to give reasonable rea-sonable assurance of fish life under adverse conditions. These marginal waters may produce a rapid growth of fish and account for some of the best still fishing in the State most years. They are stocked with fingerling trout at a relatively rel-atively low cost on what is termed a "calculated risk" basis. ba-sis. Andriano said any water suffering fish winter kill would be restocked depending upon the water conditions where losses los-ses occur and as the warming water produces food for fish life. |