Fishing Forum

Looks like our concerns are true. The fish are showing up dead along the shore were the ice has [size 1]receded[/size]. Fish and Game have been notified and they said it was probably lack of oxygen. They claim some may of survived but they are not being seen on anyone's fish finders. []
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That is terrible Treasureton was one of my favorites when I was going USU.

Windriver
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Yes it is! It will take some time to rebuild. I knew somthing weird was going on because last fall just before ice formed there were about 20 of so fish down by the dam that were just laying in about 3 ft of water and some real close to the bank. They were not belly up but were just suspended towards the top. I reached downed and touched one next to the bank and he swam away and I could drop a fly right next to them and they would take it. They fought okay but somthing wasn't normal. We figured the lake had rolled or the cold water had them acting strange. Hadn't seen this before on the lake. I think we punched enough holes in the ice this year to keep it aireated [] Hope the fish biologists do some checking and not just claim lack of oxygen as the problem. Why this year?
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Just a guess, but maybe the PH is messed up from fertilizer run off or something.

Windriver
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Thats terrible news.
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Some good news, there was a fish caught today so maybe there are a few left.

Windriver, I think you have the answer. The PH could be screwed up. Has anyone heard of the fire retardant dropped causing a problem with the water PH? I know it is a phosphate based chemical. Could it cause a PH problem? There was a lot of it dropped last summer up the canyon on the fire . Maybe some has reached Treasureton.
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All,

Bad news indeed and I agree that something more than simple lack of oxygen makes more sense -- given the evidence mentioned. I would suspect farming and pesticides in addition to what was mentioned. The pH thing could be credible but I don't remember fires in that area as much as below Oneida.

FR
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Having worked with fire retardant on fires for over 33 years, the fire retardant you are talking about has to be dropped right in the water to affect the fish and/or run off into it immediately. The retardant dropped last year was on the east side of the road and not into the resevoir. Once it is dropped, the lasting effect is short lived and to get to the resevoir in masses your talking about to affect the fish is nill. We have had no run off right after it was dropped in August to get to the water there. And the distance it would of had to go would have disipated it so much that it would havce been negligable by the time it got to the resevoir. So, I highly doubt it is do to that, but more likely the chemicals, etc used in surrounding fields and/or other issues to raise the PH if it is in fact that. I would be betting on low oxygen levels do to the thickness of the ice. Just holes in the ice wont oxygenate the water, has to turn over and put oxygen in the water such as wave action or by artificial means like F&G has done on Henerys res in past years.

But, I do hope it is resolved even though I've never fished it.
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duksfish, Thanks for the info, I figured someone out there would have the answer to that question about retardent. Sounds like you know your stuff.

There is a story about it in todays Idaho State Journal and Fish and Game is saying the same thing you are about the oxygen and the amount of snow on the ice.

One other idea was mentioned by a Treasureton regular and he thinks that the amount of fish caught and released stressed them and with the lack of oxygen it may have been a factor.

(was just kidding about the holes in the ice, I know that doesn't help)
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Some interesting ideas proposed about the causes of the Treasureton winter kill. Given the enormous level of aquatic plant growth that occurs there during the spring/summer, it might be a classic case of plant decomposition by microbes, which consumes oxygen and occurs as plants die due to reduced sunlight during the fall/winter, depleting available oxygen in the water and also, exceeding the input of "new" oxygen by surviving plants (remember that weird term "photosynthesis" in high school biology?). Because of warm summer temperatures last year, which probably stressed both fish and plants, and the fact the reservoir was covered by snow and ice for many months, it seems possible that continuous decomposition, and low levels of oxygen renewal, led to oxygen depletion resulting in fish mortality. Whatever the cause, all of us are sorry to read about the apparent loss of this great fishery. Let's hope for a rapid recovery!
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I've never been there, but that sounds like a good explanation. It is actually pretty common for oxygen depleated areas to happen. In the ocean there are big areas that are depleated of oxygen because of increased nutrient loads, which cause algal blooms, and then when the nutrients run out, the algae is decomposed by microbes etc. that use up all of the oxygen. There is a persistant good example of this off shore near the mouth of the Mississippi.
The same thing can happen in fresh water. So with increased decomposition, and microbial respiration, combined with the long period of ice covering it, there would have been no new oxygen diffusing into the system. They very possibly could have simply ran our of oxygen at Treasureton.
Again, I'm not familiar with the area, but it is certainly possible, and whatever the cause, very to hear.
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When I fished their in the fall the water was green with algea. There was so much in the water that it turned the bottom of my toon a different color. The water didn't clear up until about 3 weeks before it was covered with ice. Treasureton doesn't have a good stream to help fill it during the winter. I would guess that it was just to long of winter. This would also explain why the fishing really slowed down later in the season.

C&R
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I am a regular at Treasureton. I have noticed that every spring the water condition gets worse by the year. Last spring it was very brown due to runoff. The farmer's have changed what was planted upstream and this has allowed for more dirt and crap to enter the reservoir. It has taken longer to clear up each year.

Since noone knows what the cause is for sure, I blame the Utahns. The farmers have probably poisoned the lake because they are sick of all the people south of the border.
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[url "http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8068588"]http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8068588[/url]

as suspected it was basically a winter kill.

On Point-------- don't go there- that's a foolish and losing argument
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Packfish,

Point taken. It was a rushed reply and I meant to include some [][] for sarcasm. My friends and I live across borders and trade this kind of banter all the time. It's done all in good humor. Hopefully no one took offense to it. On a side note I only received a couple of threats to my personal well-being through emails. [pirate][]

Fish on!
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All of us that fish Treasureton are frustrated about the loss, It is the best trout pond we have in this area. One thing we don't want to do is get in a name calling (even sarcasm) with the farmers and the ditch company over how it is managed. Several on the ditch board are regulars there and were able to keep water in it last fall, we saw what happened to several other ponds belonging to other ditch company's.

The ponds were built in this area for one reason and that was for water storage. We are priviliged to be able to fish on them and enjoy them.

Well I will jump down off my stump now and quit preaching and we all hope it returns to the great fishery that it has been.
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Well, I drove out to Treasureton today. I had to see it for myself to believe it. There were tons of dead fish along the edges. Fish of all sizes could be seen belly up. It was a very discouraging sight to see.

Looks like I'll be driving further west to fish around Malad this year.
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Nothing against you Onpoint- I am sure we have fished near each other and never knew it. We're all here for the same reasons and hopes. GardenHackle----- good post
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It would sure would be nice to have a Fish and Game department that would have been on top of this and if nothing else open up the fishing to be allowed to keep the fish. Where were all of the biologists etc. that our liscense money etc. pays for. If this could not have been prevented at least the fish could have been harvested. Do they not make any water test during the winter? I do not fish Treasureton but know some people who do. They are really disgusted to think the beautiful fish they caught and released were destined to suffocate slowly rather than put to good use.
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Long winter . Ice has been on for a long time this year. Its like mother nature had different plans for more cold and snow.
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