Laserfiche WebLink
evaluate escapement that occurred either during the annual spill or during outlet releases <br />(evaluation draining). Access to the river was blocked below the spillway basin for the entire <br />study; however, this was not the case for the outlet basin. Fish were able to move freely between <br />the outlet basin and the river. <br />Crews began the evaluation in 2002 and were able to successfully complete initial and <br />evaluation drainings in the outlet basin in both 2002 and 2004. Crews attempted initial and <br />evaluation drainings of the spillway basin in 2002, 2004, and 2005 and were not entirely <br />successful unti12005, the only year that Starvation Reservoir had a significant spill. Because of <br />this, escapement rates of the target species were calculated only for 2005. The reservoir spilled <br />from 16 June to 11 July in 2005 and spilled a total of 15,533 acre-feet (AF). Rates of escapement <br />based on 2005 sampling were as follows: smallmouth bass - 0.0028 fish/AF; walleye - 0.0005 <br />fish/AF; yellow perch - 0.0006 fish/AF. <br />Given these low escapement rates over the spillway and the self-sustaining nature of <br />smallmouth bass in both the Green and Duchesne rivers, screening the reservoir may not be the <br />most cost-effective means of limiting their escapement from the reservoir, especially in light of <br />other management options. In order to best evaluate cost and benefit, the Program must decide <br />whether or not this rate of escapement is acceptable given the effort expended on reducing <br />smallmouth bass and walleye populations throughout the Green River drainage through <br />nonnative removal efforts. <br />Walleye escape from the reservoir and while they are occasionally encountered in the <br />middle Green River during other Program efforts, there is little evidence of them successfully <br />spawning in the river. One 25mm walleye was found during nonnative cyprinid removal work in <br />the lower Green River in 2000 (Snyder 2000); however, as of 2006, this has been the only young <br />ix <br />