Laserfiche WebLink
others have young that drift into the lake, predation is believed to eliminate <br />young native fish from the reservoir and precludes their survival/recruitment. <br />The biggest sport fisheries management challenge is trying to stabilize a <br />striped bass population that reproduces without limits and decimates pelagic <br />stocks of threadfin shad upon which they depend. Elimination of shad results <br />in striped bass starvation. Reduction of striped bass numbers allow shad to <br />rebound from adult stocks residing in turbid, thermal refuges where they are <br />less vulnerable to striped bass predation. As shad reenter the pelagic zone <br />in large numbers, they are eaten by young stripers who grow rapidly, mature, <br />and then, once again, eliminate shad from the pelagic zone. This classic <br />predator-prey cycle fluctuated wildly during the 1980's and still occurs at <br />present but within narrower parameters. Threadfin shad in Lake Powell exist <br />in the northern most portion of their range. Lower lethal temperatures for <br />shad are reported as 4.5-5° C. Shad currently survive winters where water <br />temperatures consistently range near the lethal limit by seeking deep strata <br />where temperature is stable without sudden changes that could trigger massive <br />shad mortality. A reduction of even 1° C. may remove the shad thermal refuge <br />and result in loss of shad over winter. Any proposal to alter dam operations, <br />such as a multilevel intake structure that could alter the lake heat budget, <br />must be evaluated with the potential loss of shad in mind. The absence of a <br />pelagic forage fish would be devastating to Lake Powell sport fisheries. The <br />absence of shad would not eliminate striped bass which now reproduce without <br />limit and subsist on plankton for the first year or two of life. The end <br />result would be a permanently stunted striped bass population without quality <br />sport fishing value that may exert extreme predatory pressure on plankton <br />abundance and thereby negatively impact other Lake Powell fishes. <br />Results of recent NPS and USFWS surveys indicate some biocontaminants show an <br />increasing trend in aquatic organisms nearing the dam. Selenium in plankton <br />from Wahweap Bay and Warm Creek ranged 5.3 to 14.6 ug/g dry weight. Striped <br />bass filets taken in Warm Creek and near the dam contained 12.7 to 19.9 ug/g <br />dry weight selenium. Although there has been no apparent negative impacts on <br />reproduction or survival of striped bass themselves, selenium at these levels <br />could pose potential problems to anglers. Removal of angler catch limits of <br />striped bass as a means of reducing that species has increased the opportunity <br />for anglers to take and consume large quantities of fish filets containing <br />selenium. Educating anglers and involving public health officials in risk <br />assessment for developing consumption advisories is recommended, if determined <br />that they are needed. <br />2. Lake Powell Goal: Maintain a stable, balanced sport fishery. <br />3. Lake Powell Management Objectives <br />a. Provide sport fisheries with an average catch rate of 0.5 fish/hour <br />for all species combined. <br />20 <br />