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As we all know, Utah Lake is closed due to the toxic algae bloom. Well, are we prepared for the even bigger disaster that will come when all that algae begins to die off and decompose ?? What awaits us is going to be one of the worst environmental disasters that Utah has ever seen. Some one better at math will need to do the calculation, but the TONS of algae that are out there are going to die, sometime in late August or Early September. When that happens, the dissolved oxygen content of the lake will plummet as all that organic matter decomposes. That will result in massive fish kills from white bass, LMB, even Carp ( Carp are already crowding up the Provo River for the higher oxygen). Even the revered June Sucker will be decimated by the low O2 levels. I hope the water managers that caused this debacle will be held accountable for their lack of foresight and that their water companies will be charged the cost of clean up and repair !!! The public should not have to pay for this !!
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You're absolutely right, and that's the first thing that came to my mind when I read about this. The major impact is going to result from the oxygen depletion when all that algae decomposes. Fish are certainly going to die, and we'll just have to wait and see who the survivors are.
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[#0000FF]SOOTHSAYER!
Sadly, I fear you are right. That has been the big "fallout" after most major algae blooms...the oxygen depletion when the green stuff dies and decomposes. And, according to everything written about the cyanotoxin, that is when that stuff is released too...not while the cells are still alive.
I suppose that there will be isolated pockets of survival in the lake but large areas that will not have many (or any) fish left alive.
Hope we are both wrong.
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Well, my master's degree is in algology and aquatic ecology, so this is sort of especially interesting to me personally.
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That is a very dire scenario you present. I wish I could dispute it but  ly, I believe you are right.
One observation I made at Lincoln yesterday: there was a green carpet of algae that appeared to be 10 - 15 feet broad all along the south shore. It appeared to be the result of the north wind wave action that had pushed the algae about ten feet or so from the water line. If some of that crap dries up on the shore rather than decomposing in the water maybe the oxygen depletion will not be quite as bad. I realize the algae I saw blown up on the shore was only an itty-bit of the total mass of algae but it still might give a ray of hope.
I can't stand the thought of a dead lake with a total fish die off. Maybe the more hardy fish like the carp and catfish will pull through? I really don't give a grunt about the junnies but I would hate to see the LMB, wb, gills, perch and walleyes lost. I suspect the DWR folks can forget about the northern pike problem.
If the algae eventually does cause a total die off and tons and tons of dead fish start decaying along the shores the stink and disease will drive people out of the valley. Sadly, there will most likely be no accountability for those that made the decisions to neglect UL.
I find it ironic that decisions were made to save all the water in Deer Creek while neglecting UL. Now those who use the UL water from the Jordon are told to find an "alternative source" for their needs. That alternative source for some will probably be the culinary water they get from Deer Creek.
Only time will tell how deadly this disaster is.
BLK
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Why isn't this type of thing being talked about on the news? and can anything be done to stop it now? could they flush a bunch of water in the lake? this will be expensive but could save some fish. Right? or am I totally wrong.
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[#0000FF]Two human factors at work here:
1. Ignore it and it may go away. Hope nobody notices.
2. Gee. Nothing like this ever happened before. Ain't got the foggiest how it happened or what to do about it.
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Deer Creek is already down ten feet. So they are not storing it there.
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I wonder if this was done on purpose? To hold the water from going into Utah Lake to hopefully deplete the carp and the northern pike, as well as allow for future dredging. Sadly it will eliminate all of the other species we all enjoy catching.
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Deer Creek is now about 10 feet lower than its highest point this last spring.
Jordanelle is about 42 feet higher than its lowest point this last spring.
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Looks like this may be the end of a Catfish contest next year? Maybe we will need to do away with the North - South teams for awhile and just have contest cover any state water north of UL?
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Or so it says on my license plate holder
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As as it is to see what will probably be an extinction-level event for UL fish, I'll try to see some possible upsides:
1. Maybe they'll make it a point to leave the water levels higher in UL in the coming years, leading to better fishing there in the long term?
2. It could deal a blow to the carp population that will keep their numbers down for a few years at least, before they inevitably come back?
3. Maybe if we get REALLY lucky it will kill off the rest of the June Suckers and then we can stock some cooler fish in UL like pike or muskies?
I just can't imagine that UL goes down the toilet, all the fish die, and then the lake forever remains a barren, empty fishery. It's been in pretty poor condition because of how low the water level has been for several years now; perhaps this is the push needed to convince the powers that be to keep more water in it long term, which can only be a good thing.
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I agree. The DNR only cares about the June Suckers. I would love to see more pike and muskies!
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I don't know if the DNR only cares about the Junnies or not. They have to play the game with the Federal government. Just like the wolf restoration if the states can't do it the Feds will step in and take over. I don't think I want them to tell me when and where I can fish.
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So, maybe this is a diabolical plan to remove all the predators from Utah Lake and restock it with June Sucker as the only fish in the pond ?? I can't imagine that the June Sucker folks would allow the lake to degenerate into it's current condition without approval of the current water plan. It would be very interesting to have someone from the DWR and the June Sucker Recovery team get on here and give the public the benefit of their expertise on this subject !! Then again, it may be that they are not talking due to the nature of the subject !!
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i would be surprised if the die off event is as bad as you are making it out to be i have seen island park reservoir look much much worse much worse with algae blooms in the fall and come out of it in the spring no worse for wear. plus the size of Utah lake should allow for fish to relocate to better oxygenated water areas to raise survival rates . i have though been very disappointed with the water levels they have maintained the last few years
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I think things are horrible right now on Utah lake and people are rightly concerned, but as much as it irks me to see how low the lake level has been allowed to get (many factors at play on that subject) I still think that we won't see a super massive die off of the fish.
When this stuff starts to break up and it's on its down cycle for the year it will also be blown into dense but smaller areas of the lake, relatively speaking. As the algae decomposes and starts displacing oxygen in the water it will be pretty much localized to the areas that it has blown or drifted to. That means bad news for fish in those immediately affected areas and probably high mortality, but in the larger picture there is an awful lot of surface area on Utah lake from which to draw oxygen from the air.
If the majority of dissolved oxygen in Utah lake is acquired by transfer from the air that makes contact with the lakes surface then business as usual will take place for much of the lake despite the localized areas of oxygen depletion and fish kill. They areas of open water out away from the shore lines will surely hold many fish and of the several different species that use the lake. I'm sure the catfish and carp will do just fine in a large area of the lake. My biggest concerns are the shoreline and weed line oriented species such as LMB, crappies, bluegills, and perch. They stand to have their young and many of their adult populations decimated due to the localization of the oxygen depletion coinciding with their preferred habitat.
The other wildcard is how the released cyanotoxins will affect the overall volume of lake water and if it will be widespread and equally toxic in all areas of the lake or will it too be localized with the highest and most damaging levels being where the shoreline oriented species hang out?
I suppose we will start to come to an understanding of the actual impact over the next year or three, but in the mean time, Utah water managers should really hatch a plan to put more water back into the lake and downstream water users should try to be more responsible with the limited amounts of water that we, as a state, have to draw from. It alway ticks me off to hear about the state not doing enough to assure that there will be enough water, yet many ranchers and farmers I know will be watering heavy during periods when we do have heavy seasonal rains and justify it by saying "it's our shares, we pay for it, and we will use it no matter what". If all the ranchers and farmers could just cut cut a small smidge of their water use, I think it could make a huge difference.
Rant over.....
Mike
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I think your right it is not likely a complete loss on the fish. If we can get a few very windy days during the algal die off it would really help.
It seams to me that much of the water being released down the river can't be used for its intended purpose. It couldn't hurt to cut that flow way down. I know it would take an act of congress but I am willing to bet there are a lot of people in meetings today passionately discussing the issues in someone's best interest I just hope it's mine.
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[#0000FF]There was a lengthy article in this morning's Tribune on the toxins. Some good background info, but no coverage or speculation on potential fish kills. I guess we just gotta wait it out.
The thing that keeps coming through in all of the rhetoric being handed out by the news media is that this is a case of "Vuja de"...nothing like this has ever happened before. There is much concern and a lot of speculation but nobody has a clue about what to do about it...or what the final results will be.
I have attached a PDF file of a copy and paste of that news article.
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Provo growing from a small town into a thriving metropolis and SLC turning into a mina LA has nothing to do with it? Its all those damn ranchers and farmers growing food for the American family that are to blame???
We have owned our water rights for over a century. We have been careful stewards on our land and all the resources we have. Like grass and water. It incenses me to be blamed when there are 1.5 million people watering lawns, washing drive ways and cars, showering and using water by the millions of gallons everyday! Irrigation systems are becoming more advanced every year. We save countless gallons of water as an industry using the best technology available. But that doesn't mean much to some folks I reckon.
Rant just barely started!!!
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