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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 5.3 FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 5.3.1 Fisheries Lemon Reservoir's storage capaci ty was des igned to ensure that a fishery be maintained for recreational opportunities at the reservoir as well as to enhance the stream fishery below the reservoir by maintaining minimum flows in the river. To enhance the recreational and fishing value of the reservoir, a minimum of 1100 AF of storage capacity was provided. In addition, the project provides for a minimum flow of 4 cfs from October 16 through April 30 to meet minimum requirements for downstream fish habitat in the eleven mile reach of the Florida River between Lemon Dam and the Florida Farmers' Diversion Ditch. This annual release, on a cumulative basis, amounts to approximately 1600 acre feet. Releases from the reservoir continually exceed this minimum flow during the irrigation season. The management approach for Lemon Reservoir is defined as a "put, grow and take fishery" which in essence is a stocking program implemented by the state and Federal wildlife agencies. Because the morphology of the reservoir is steep sided and narrow, there is not an abundance of shallow warm areas for fish matura- tion, and as a result, Lemon Reservoir does not have a productive growth rate. Lemon Reservoir is annually stocked with 50,000 five-inch fingerling rainbow trout by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Rainbow trout are popular with fisherman, are easy to catch and are a common commodity with fish hatcheries. They are "put" into the reservoir at five inches (size) with hopes that they will grow to be as large as 10-12 inches. There is currently an existing brown trout population in the reservoir which probably has resulted from the 1975 stocking of 15,000 fish. The brown trout, which reside in the river below the reservoir, spawn downstream of the reservoir in the late fall- 5.0-3