03-24-2007, 12:37 PM
[cool][#0000ff]For all non-Utahans who are not familiar with the ongoing soap opera of Yuba reservoir, here is an abridged explanation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yuba is a reservoir on the Sevier River...a fluctuating stream that is owned by many water users. In good years there is plenty of water for both the farmers and the fish. When there is a low water year, or a prolonged drought, the lake gets low enough to adversely affect the spawning and food cycles of the fish. Boom and bust.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There have been several "10 year cycles" over the decades I have fished the lake. In peak years the lake kicks out bunches of BIG perch...up to 16" and almost 3#. It also produces lots of walleyes, plenty of pike and grundles of catfish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At the end of the last drought cycle, the lake was extremely low. Officials used that opportunity to finish draining (killing) the lake, in order to complete some planned work on the earthen dam. Fortunately, the next winter brought a bumper snow pack and the lake filled to the brim...with water, not fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has always been trout oriented. They have not managed "warm water" species and have no hatchery from which to replant missing fish. They usually just let nature take it's course. However, they did plant a bunch of rainbows, to at least provide a fishery. And, until the explosion of perch, the trout did very well. I am attaching a picture of what those fish looked like.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Rocky Mountain Anglers, a Utah walleye fishing club, arranged for the supervised harvest of perch from Jordanelle Reservoir and transplant into Yuba...to establish a food source for whatever walleye might have survived upriver in the Sevier. They also arranged with DWR to restrict the taking of perch until 2008...or after...to give them a chance to repopulate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With no predators in the lake for almost two years, a small population of fathead minnows exploded. These provided good chow for both the perch and the trout. With high water flooding up into the brush that had filled the lakebed during the drought the perch had fantastic spawns. Combine good spawning, no predation from walleyes and lots of minnows for food and the perch population skyrocketed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By May of 2006 it was being observed by anglers that the perch were everywhere throughout the lake and were reaching good sizes. There were tons of perch, but no walleye showing up at all. In short, with no walleye to cull the herd, the lake could well be opened to harvest of perch by anglers, without any harm to the ecology.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the flip side, the perch were affecting the ecology of the lake by vacuuming up the formerly abundant fathead minnows. They were no longer evident in the big swarms that had fattened the rainbows to steelhead proportions. And, the rainbows that were being caught were smaller and skinnier...with many of them sporting ugly anchor worm sores.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As provided by Utah processes, I went to the DWR meeting in September (RAC) to petition for the opening of Yuba Lake to the taking of perch in the 2007 regulations. At that meeting, the voting members voted for the change 7-2. I then took the measure in front of the DWR board meeting, in October. And, in spite of being told that once RAC had voted for it, it was automatic, the head of DWR fisheries shot it down with a simple "we recommend that we stay the course"...no opening for perch. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since then, DWR people and everybody else has admitted that it was a mistake to keep the lake closed to perch fishing. The only reason used for denying it was protocol...I did not have the measure in front of RAC by May...rather than in September. Therefore, no matter how much sense it made, they could not (would not) approve it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]So, because of stupid beaurocracy, anglers are deprived of a great potential fishery...that could crash at any time. All the fisheries biologists and officers wanted it open. Kids and old timers are getting tickets for keeping perch and do not understand. Anglers...like myself...are deciding to stay away from Yuba for the next year because it is just not worth the 2 hour drive from Salt Lake for ugly trout and no perch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That IS the short version.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yuba is a reservoir on the Sevier River...a fluctuating stream that is owned by many water users. In good years there is plenty of water for both the farmers and the fish. When there is a low water year, or a prolonged drought, the lake gets low enough to adversely affect the spawning and food cycles of the fish. Boom and bust.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There have been several "10 year cycles" over the decades I have fished the lake. In peak years the lake kicks out bunches of BIG perch...up to 16" and almost 3#. It also produces lots of walleyes, plenty of pike and grundles of catfish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At the end of the last drought cycle, the lake was extremely low. Officials used that opportunity to finish draining (killing) the lake, in order to complete some planned work on the earthen dam. Fortunately, the next winter brought a bumper snow pack and the lake filled to the brim...with water, not fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has always been trout oriented. They have not managed "warm water" species and have no hatchery from which to replant missing fish. They usually just let nature take it's course. However, they did plant a bunch of rainbows, to at least provide a fishery. And, until the explosion of perch, the trout did very well. I am attaching a picture of what those fish looked like.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Rocky Mountain Anglers, a Utah walleye fishing club, arranged for the supervised harvest of perch from Jordanelle Reservoir and transplant into Yuba...to establish a food source for whatever walleye might have survived upriver in the Sevier. They also arranged with DWR to restrict the taking of perch until 2008...or after...to give them a chance to repopulate.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]With no predators in the lake for almost two years, a small population of fathead minnows exploded. These provided good chow for both the perch and the trout. With high water flooding up into the brush that had filled the lakebed during the drought the perch had fantastic spawns. Combine good spawning, no predation from walleyes and lots of minnows for food and the perch population skyrocketed.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]By May of 2006 it was being observed by anglers that the perch were everywhere throughout the lake and were reaching good sizes. There were tons of perch, but no walleye showing up at all. In short, with no walleye to cull the herd, the lake could well be opened to harvest of perch by anglers, without any harm to the ecology.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the flip side, the perch were affecting the ecology of the lake by vacuuming up the formerly abundant fathead minnows. They were no longer evident in the big swarms that had fattened the rainbows to steelhead proportions. And, the rainbows that were being caught were smaller and skinnier...with many of them sporting ugly anchor worm sores.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As provided by Utah processes, I went to the DWR meeting in September (RAC) to petition for the opening of Yuba Lake to the taking of perch in the 2007 regulations. At that meeting, the voting members voted for the change 7-2. I then took the measure in front of the DWR board meeting, in October. And, in spite of being told that once RAC had voted for it, it was automatic, the head of DWR fisheries shot it down with a simple "we recommend that we stay the course"...no opening for perch. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since then, DWR people and everybody else has admitted that it was a mistake to keep the lake closed to perch fishing. The only reason used for denying it was protocol...I did not have the measure in front of RAC by May...rather than in September. Therefore, no matter how much sense it made, they could not (would not) approve it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]So, because of stupid beaurocracy, anglers are deprived of a great potential fishery...that could crash at any time. All the fisheries biologists and officers wanted it open. Kids and old timers are getting tickets for keeping perch and do not understand. Anglers...like myself...are deciding to stay away from Yuba for the next year because it is just not worth the 2 hour drive from Salt Lake for ugly trout and no perch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That IS the short version.[/#0000ff]
[signature]