10-21-2010, 08:32 PM
[cool][#0000ff]My understanding is that the problem started two years ago. There was a low water year in the Sevier drainage and all of the streams and lakes along the entire length suffered from low flows. Yuba never got above about 60% full. Wasn't much better this year. The downstream water users really don't care about maintaining lake levels...as long as they get their water...used or not.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The outflow was virtually shut off a month or so ago and the lake is filling a little bit. But, unless there are some heavy fall rains, followed by a good snow pack in the right places, Yuba is hurtin' for certain.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Evidence points to a poor perch spawn and recruitment this past low water spring. It will be even worse this coming spring without major inflows of water. As you know, the perch need the water to be up into the shoreline vegetation to spawn and to have a place for the fry to find some shelter from carp and other predators. Without flooded structure there will be another bad year for perchkind.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looking back, there was a lot of rain in the late spring and early summer two years ago. Farmers did not need to irrigate for a couple of months that they would normally be using Yuba water. But they kept the water coming anyway so they would not forfeit their rights. Major water pouring out of Yuba and downstream to ultimately flood the desert. If there had been some kind of common sense (WHAT???) controls in place the gates at Yuba would have not been opened so wide and it would have filled up more. Hindsight.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The outflow was virtually shut off a month or so ago and the lake is filling a little bit. But, unless there are some heavy fall rains, followed by a good snow pack in the right places, Yuba is hurtin' for certain.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Evidence points to a poor perch spawn and recruitment this past low water spring. It will be even worse this coming spring without major inflows of water. As you know, the perch need the water to be up into the shoreline vegetation to spawn and to have a place for the fry to find some shelter from carp and other predators. Without flooded structure there will be another bad year for perchkind.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Looking back, there was a lot of rain in the late spring and early summer two years ago. Farmers did not need to irrigate for a couple of months that they would normally be using Yuba water. But they kept the water coming anyway so they would not forfeit their rights. Major water pouring out of Yuba and downstream to ultimately flood the desert. If there had been some kind of common sense (WHAT???) controls in place the gates at Yuba would have not been opened so wide and it would have filled up more. Hindsight.[/#0000ff]
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