Current level of lake Eufaula (Okla) is over seven feet below normal. The lowest it’s been in over 25 years, closing in on a record low for this lake. I am well aware that many lakes suffer drastic low levels, but Eufaula hasn’t. Two feet below normal is considered low here. (There was a segway on Bass Tech {ESPN} this week about the problem.)
Part of the problem has been the drought, but a larger role has been played by the continuous generation of power through the turbines. This alone can draw the lake down at the rate of two to six inches a day.
While it has concentrated the fish, of all species, it’s narrowed the habitat for shallow species such as bass quite a bit. Which means the fishing is somewhat easier, for now.
But, and this is a big one, if the lake doesn’t return to more normal levels by spawn for bass, we’ll lose the whole year class for ‘06. We’re already seeing the loss of the last two year classes due to predation from lack of cover.
The last low level resulted in some of the worst fishing ever seen on this lake for four to six years , during the early to late eighties it was hard to come by a decent days catch. The problem wasn’t entirely due to low water levels, over fishing and habitat loss played an important role. But taken with the loss of three year class spawns, it devastated the bass fishery, with impact on most other sport fish. Crappie, white bass and all species of catfish catch rates declined drastically at the same time. It also ended the successful stocking programs for Walleye and Hybrid stripers due to lack of cover for the fingerlings.
To add salt to the injuries, now the Oklahoma Water Resources Board is exploring permits for water withdrawals for major metro areas west of us, Oklahoma City being first in line. A permit was issued two years ago for about 250,000 acre feet per year, but expired before being acted upon or renewed.
If this happens Eufaula will become a third rate fishery for years to come. Should permits be issued and used?
Current projections have the lake often being four to ten feet below pool if eveything proceeds to the point of actual plant and accompanying pipelines being install to fill the total sought after demand.
As a Corps of Engineer Lake, the primary function contained in the Congressional authorization for this project was, in order. (Information obtained from Lake Eufuala Supporters Organization)
1; Flood Control
2;Power Generation
3;Siltation settlement for the Arkansas Navigation Project. (If you’ve fished this lake as long as I have you know how successful that was. Half the upper end has filled in so badly you can’t get within miles of places we used to fish.)
4;Water retention for the same Navigation Project
5;Bank Erosion control for the Arkansas River Project.
Note that none of the top five have anything to do with recreational use. This particular issue (recreationl activities) has been an ongoing struggle with the Corps, often only the intervention of our Congressmen have salvaged the lake.
I’ll keep you informed, at this moment an organization (Save Our Lake) has been formed to attempt putting a stop to any further demands on the lake, I’ll keep you informed.
As usual, the Corps isn’t too interested in abating the problem until the level falls below Generation Pool. Their main interest in this lake is its ability to feed the grid. Minumum Generation Pool for Eufaula is 15 feet below normal pool!
A lesson for all of you who rely on impounded waters for your fishing.
That is the majority of us!
Watch closely, or they might suck the lake dry for other uses if you don’t stand up for your sport. Remind them that Sport Fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country. Our local merchants are painfully aware of this fact, they’re getting behind all and any effort to keep the lake a viable fishery with both their time and money.
Richard.
Feelin Mighty Low
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RNE
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Feelin Mighty Low
Fishing is life, any kind of fishing!
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johnnie crain outdoors
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Feelin Mighty Low
Richard,
We have a similar problem here in Iowa on Lake Odessa, except it's a continuous yearly problem. It's the only lake we have within fifty miles because as the Iowa DNR says, we have the river (Mississippi river) to fish.
The problem with Lake Odessa is it is a waterfowl refuge at one end and a great duck hunting spot at the other end. Each year the lake is drawn down to plant weeds and grasses for the ducks. The lake is only five feet deep when full, most times, espoecially in spring and summer the lake can be only 3 feet deep. It's a hazard to run and the bass don't have any cover at all when lowered. Baby bass don't stand a chance against preditor fish such as gar and dogfish. Our bass club and others have complained, filed petitions and more or less boycotted the lake to no avail. The DNR says the ducks are a more profitable resource than the bass. Our duck season lasts about four weeks, our bass season is all year. Can't fight the government I guess.
We have a similar problem here in Iowa on Lake Odessa, except it's a continuous yearly problem. It's the only lake we have within fifty miles because as the Iowa DNR says, we have the river (Mississippi river) to fish.
The problem with Lake Odessa is it is a waterfowl refuge at one end and a great duck hunting spot at the other end. Each year the lake is drawn down to plant weeds and grasses for the ducks. The lake is only five feet deep when full, most times, espoecially in spring and summer the lake can be only 3 feet deep. It's a hazard to run and the bass don't have any cover at all when lowered. Baby bass don't stand a chance against preditor fish such as gar and dogfish. Our bass club and others have complained, filed petitions and more or less boycotted the lake to no avail. The DNR says the ducks are a more profitable resource than the bass. Our duck season lasts about four weeks, our bass season is all year. Can't fight the government I guess.
Johnnie Crain
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RNE
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Feelin Mighty Low
I understand their 'logic' for such useage priorities Johnnie. Doesn't mean I agree with it.
We (the local fishing clubs) went to several Corps and ODW meetings a few years ago with some of the hunting groups to convince the Corps to draw the lake down two to three feet in early fall for planting forage for migrating waterfowl. We had limited success, an agreement was reached. We believed, and still do, that as the lake refilled during the late winter and early spring the remaining foliage would return some of the nutrients locked in the silt. There had been a noticable improvement in spawn recruitment and forage species biomass since the the drawdown agreement went into effect.
But there's a lot of difference between 2 feet and seven on this lake. Primarily due to the fact that nearly all the best cover for fingerling/juvenile species within the basin is above that 7 foot depth.
This lake is a mixture of types, upper end is mostly shallow flats with soft bottoms, from midlake down it is more a steeper sided rock banked highland type with much clearer water.
Which is ideal Smallmouth habitat BTW, you can see the proof of that in the early tourney weigh-ins. You'll see a lot of 4 to 6 pound smallies then. And more than a few over 7. In fact, over the last couple of years more than half the winning weights have been full limits of smallmouth.
We have a good fishery, and we don't want to lose it. A drought is something we can't do much about, Overuse of the lake is.
The last demographic survey published place the number of locals who relied directly on the lake for their livelyhood at close to 50,000. Add the economic multiplier effect and that number triples at minumum.
Render the lake useless for recreation, and all that cames to an end.
Including my income. Hard to sell someone a boat when they can't even launch it.
We (the local fishing clubs) went to several Corps and ODW meetings a few years ago with some of the hunting groups to convince the Corps to draw the lake down two to three feet in early fall for planting forage for migrating waterfowl. We had limited success, an agreement was reached. We believed, and still do, that as the lake refilled during the late winter and early spring the remaining foliage would return some of the nutrients locked in the silt. There had been a noticable improvement in spawn recruitment and forage species biomass since the the drawdown agreement went into effect.
But there's a lot of difference between 2 feet and seven on this lake. Primarily due to the fact that nearly all the best cover for fingerling/juvenile species within the basin is above that 7 foot depth.
This lake is a mixture of types, upper end is mostly shallow flats with soft bottoms, from midlake down it is more a steeper sided rock banked highland type with much clearer water.
Which is ideal Smallmouth habitat BTW, you can see the proof of that in the early tourney weigh-ins. You'll see a lot of 4 to 6 pound smallies then. And more than a few over 7. In fact, over the last couple of years more than half the winning weights have been full limits of smallmouth.
We have a good fishery, and we don't want to lose it. A drought is something we can't do much about, Overuse of the lake is.
The last demographic survey published place the number of locals who relied directly on the lake for their livelyhood at close to 50,000. Add the economic multiplier effect and that number triples at minumum.
Render the lake useless for recreation, and all that cames to an end.
Including my income. Hard to sell someone a boat when they can't even launch it.
Fishing is life, any kind of fishing!