By Bruce Ajari ·
Volunteers moving up the dewatered section of the Little Truckee River below Boca Reservoir ·
With the drought lowering our lakes and reservoirs to extremely low levels, what happened recently seemed bound to occur. The flows coming out of Boca Reservoir were at 266 cubic feet per second and then reduced to a mere .63 cubic feet per second in a 24-hour period by the Federal Watermaster.
This rapid draw down in water flowing into the portion of the Little Truckee River that flows into the Truckee River was essentially dry stranding and killing many fish.
Local Truckee resident and fish advocate, Stefan McLeod, was there immediately after the drawdown and attempted to rescue stranded fish. He did an on-camera interview with Richard Stark of KCRA News and drew attention to the situation.
The next day, he had called the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and they sent a team of three to electroshock the standing waters to try and rescue fish. A call for volunteers was answered by a number of concerned citizens from near and far.
While initially a clandestine operation, calls made by David Lass, Trout Unlimited field representative, were able to obtain the necessary permissions. Thus, it became a Trout Unlimited recovery effort.
These types of rapid reductions in flow are not that uncommon, according to Lass. It would be easy to eliminate the needless loss of fish. By staging the drop in flows over a several day period, fish would sense the lowering waters and could move downstream to avoid being stranded.
Why this is not done is a sore subject among anglers. We would have thought that the Truckee River Operating Agreement would have addressed this situation. Common sense would seem to dictate that flows be staged.
A similar dewatering took place in the Truckee River between Tahoe City and Truckee a number of years ago. A similar scenario played out in that situation. This could happen again when Lake Tahoe drops below its natural rim and the waters stop flowing into the Truckee River. It looks like this will happen sometime in September, according to the Federal Watermaster, unless the rainy season comes early.
When a portion of stream gets dewatered, it is not only the fish that suffer. There is also a die off of aquatic invertebrates that provide the food chain for the fish.
With the call out for volunteers from McLeod, the project to rescue the fish was undertaken. The electroshocking team from Fish and Wildlife arrived in the late morning and McCleod and a small group of volunteers moved into position on the dewatered section closest to the dam for the recovery effort. All told, an estimated 150 fish or so were rescued due to the efforts of McLeod and his volunteers.
Situations such as this will most likely happen again with the drought. McLeod stands ready to help his beloved Truckee trout. We can be thankful that such a passionate individual is looking out for them.
FISHING REPORT
(For water levels visit troa.net)
Boca | Inflow is at 47 cfs and the outflow is 29 cfs. Fishing has been fair. Most anglers have been using powerbait or nightcrawlers. Throwing lures from shore can be productive. Fly anglers are doing fair near the inlet with nymph and streamers.
Donner | Fishing has been fair. Shore fishing has been fair. Nightcrawlers and Powerbait seem to be the main bait. Fly-fishermen are catching some fish with streamers.
Lake Tahoe | Fishing has been good for mackinaw. A guide is highly recommended if you are fishing for mackinaw for the first time. Toplining and shore fishing is fair. Most shore fishermen use inflated nightcrawlers.
Little Truckee River | Winter season regulations are in effect with artificial lures with barbless hooks and a zero fish limit (strictly catch-and-release). The flow is at 47 cfs. Keep an eye on water temperatures here at these low flows. Fishing is tougher at these levels. A dry dropper rig works well in these conditions.
Martis Lake | Zero kill. Catch and release only with barbless hooks. The water is probably too warm to fish right now. Small cutthroats and a few large browns are available here. Smallmouth bass also are in this impoundment.
Prosser | Fishing has been fair. Most anglers are using powerbait or nightcrawlers. Fish are being caught in deeper water. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good.
Stampede | Stampede fishing has been fair. Shore fishermen have found action fair. Most are using nightcrawlers or Powerbait. Fly-fishermen are using a combination of nymphs and streamers with fair success. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good.
Truckee River | The upper section from Tahoe City to River Ranch flow is 142 cfs and through Truckee at 149. Keep an eye on the water temperatures. There is a voluntary closure on fishing the river by local industry fly fishers and regular anglers. The water is too warm, folks.
Other Waters | Davis and Frenchman have been fishing fair. Warm water is driving the fish deep. Blood midge and Callibaetis mayflies are the hatches most prevalent right now. Imitate these and you have a chance.
