08-07-2018, 09:48 PM
[quote Joe_Dizzy]Any thoughts on water quality issues - main lake and spawning tributaries?
This was a major reason for the (final) success at Strawberry... much work had to be done to turn the spawning tribs from sucker muck into trout gravel... and most of that land was public.
Any ideas for similar concerns at Scofield?
Also, how are the water levels holding up? Does the water level fluctuate greatly on a seasonal basis? 90% of a stillwater trout's diet is generated in areas less than 15ft deep... does the water level drop greatly in Scofield over the summer... essentially killing off the forage shelf and exposing young trout to predators?[/quote]
Scofield does have some water quality issues, it is listed as an impaired water by the DWQ folks. There are problems with algae blooms, there is one going on now. The DWR has done some restoration work on a section of Mud Creek (one of the tributaries). There is some spawning that occurs in most of the tributaries.
The water supply has always been marginal to maintain a healthy fishery. Last year was the first time in 6 years that the reservoir actually filled. The level is at 54% now and dropping. The water users routinely drop the level to under 20% in the fall. It's not a deep reservoir so it does grow bugs and fish quickly when the conditions are good.
The other concern for Scofield in the future is the water supply. If the Gooseberry Narrows Project is built in Sanpete County the water flowing into Scofield will be decreased considerably.
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This was a major reason for the (final) success at Strawberry... much work had to be done to turn the spawning tribs from sucker muck into trout gravel... and most of that land was public.
Any ideas for similar concerns at Scofield?
Also, how are the water levels holding up? Does the water level fluctuate greatly on a seasonal basis? 90% of a stillwater trout's diet is generated in areas less than 15ft deep... does the water level drop greatly in Scofield over the summer... essentially killing off the forage shelf and exposing young trout to predators?[/quote]
Scofield does have some water quality issues, it is listed as an impaired water by the DWQ folks. There are problems with algae blooms, there is one going on now. The DWR has done some restoration work on a section of Mud Creek (one of the tributaries). There is some spawning that occurs in most of the tributaries.
The water supply has always been marginal to maintain a healthy fishery. Last year was the first time in 6 years that the reservoir actually filled. The level is at 54% now and dropping. The water users routinely drop the level to under 20% in the fall. It's not a deep reservoir so it does grow bugs and fish quickly when the conditions are good.
The other concern for Scofield in the future is the water supply. If the Gooseberry Narrows Project is built in Sanpete County the water flowing into Scofield will be decreased considerably.
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