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Conservancy District indicate that from 1986 and 2006, the reservoir regularly filled to the active storage level during the spring and then was drawn down over the remainder of the year. These drawdowns were extensive in dry water years (sometimes as much as 80,000AF, with an average of around 40,000AF). These amounts translate into an elevation reduction of sometimes 10, sometimes nearly 40 feet of overall water elevation in the reservoir. These water level fluctuations could have significant ramifications on the species assemblage escaping from the reservoir with cold water species escaping during spring releases and a cool water assemblage escaping as the reservoir elevation is reduced over the year. Therefore, although study results indicate that escapement rates for smallmouth bass and walleye through the outlet are low (only one smallmouth bass iri 2002; six walleye in 2002 and three in 2004), the potential is there for these species to escape and the potential is also there to underestimate their rate of escapement. Spillway Stilling Basin Comparing the 2005 spillway escapement numbers (not rates) with escapement numbers from the outlet evaluation drainings, smallmouth bass and walleye appear to escape over the spillway in higher numbers than through the outlet. Yellow perch escape from both the outlet works and the spillway, but they appear to escape from the outlet in greater numbers. Given the difficulties with the study, the initial and evaluation drainings in 2002 were considered an effective "initial" draining. In addition, the evaluation draining in 2004 and the initial draining in 2005 were nearly complete at removing all fishes. Thus, the evaluation draining in 2005 was thought to be a valid evaluation of escapement of target species over the spillway. Despite this fact, the spillway basin did refill before crews were able to clear it of all fish, thus there is potential for underestimation of escapement even during the 2005 evaluation draining. Another key feature in the evaluation of escapement, the weir placed in between the 15