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Show Strategy is Risky PRICE At a June 12 public meeting in Price to discuss chemical treatment and rehabilitation rehabilita-tion of Scofield Reservoir, those in attendance voted unanimously in favor of a risky management strategy, designed to bring the reservoir's re-servoir's fishery back on line in 1992. The strategy calls for chemical treatment this fall, followed by restocking of 20,(XK) 7-inch fish as soon as possible following treatment. treat-ment. The gamble is that these fish could winterkill if drought and subsequent low water levels persist at the reservoir. If ihey winterkill, olher reservoirs will be deprived of some of their quota and Scofield will gain nothing. Fisheries biologists will gillnet the reservoir next spring to evaluate overwinter survival of planted fish. Oxygen levels, monitored in the reservoir re-servoir last winter, coupled with a higher projected water level, leaves DWR biologists optimistic about the survival of the 200,(XX) fish. If stocked fish survive the winter, the reservoir could be reopened for fishing as early as Memorial Day of 1992. Wishing to hedge their bet on the success of the 1991 stocking, meeting attendees suggested that additional catchable-sized fish be stocked in spring of '92. Bruce Schmidt, DWR fisheries chief, explained ex-plained that state hatcheries were operating at capacity and existing fish had already been committed. In fact, the DWR disclosed its plans to triple the number of pounds of fish it has allocated for restocking of Scofield Reservoir. In spring of '92, 175,000 three-inch trout and 175.000 five-inch trout are scheduled schedul-ed for planting. That will be followed follow-ed by a fall of '92 stocking of 107,000 five-inchcrs and 10,(XK) seven-inchers. Schmidt commented that any additional fish would have to come out of a commercial hatchery. hat-chery. Regional fisheries manager, Kevin Christopherson, stated that 60,000 nine-inch fish would be the minimum number and size needed to provide reasonable fishing for a reservoir the size of Scofield. Cost for such fish would run about $45,000. Schmidt indicated that federal matching funds could provide about $36,000. The rest would have to come from state or local sources. He informed the audience au-dience that fisheries didn't have an extra $12,000 of state funds to commit to the proposal. Meeting attendees voiced the opinion that anglers statewide could raise that amount. Schmidt responded that money would have to be received by Aug. 1 to allow time for a commercial hatchery to grow the fish. DWR came under fire when it proposed earlier that Scofield be closed a year to allow time for the food chain to reestablish and to give the three and five-inch fish, proposed propos-ed for spring and fall stocking, a chance to grow up. Concerned businessmen and anglers protested, fearing the failure of Scofield town businesses and economic setback in Carbon County. Coun-ty. Fishermen, upset by one more closure of a major fishery in southeastern Utah, also expressed alarm. In response, fisheries chief Bruce Schmidt consented to risking a winterkill in the hope of reopening the fishery a year earlier, but hopes sportsmen around the state are successful suc-cessful in raising $12,000 to pay for the 60,000 catchables, just in case. |