WWRC 87-08
Managing High Elevation Reservoir-Stream Systems
Abstract
Increasing demands for water in the western United States are
leading to increasing construction of reservoirs on high elevation
headwater streams. Through appropriate management, these reservoirs
present new chances to expand and enhance potentially unique fishing
opportunities. This report presents diverse information on the
characteristics of lakes, streams, and reservoirs, and on the effects of
reservoirs on streams. A number of management options are suggested as
having potential applicability to enhancing fishery potentials both
within and downstream of high elevation reservoirs. These include (1)
construction of reservoir outlets that permit discharge of water from
greater than one level from the reservoir, enabling regulation of water
quality and temperatures both within and downstream of these reservoirs;
(2) maintenance of minimum pools within reservoirs; (3) scheduling of
downstream flushing flows; (4) severely regulating or prohibiting
additional sources of potential environmental stress within watersheds
above headwater reservoirs, which include logging, cattle grazing, and
mining; (5) installing artificial structures, which offer potentials for
enhancing fishery habitats both within and downstream of reservoirs; and
(6) direct manipulation of fisheries through selective stocking, species
and strain selection, and harvest regulations, which can lead to "wild"
and/or trophy fisheries in some of these systems. All implemented
management actions should be monitoring to evaluate the actions achieve
the stated objectives.
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