01-03-2005, 05:40 PM
I found out a little more on the issue with Johnson.
The issue is not a problem with the dam, or the pipe coming out of the dam. The problem is that the water users want to be able to run more water out of Johnson, than the hydrolics of the river below the dam can handle. (too many cfs for the Fremont between Johnson and Mill Meadow). Mainly, it sounds like the water users want to run it dry, quicker than you really could. The DWR could have come up with a solution, but they weren't willing to foot the bill (over a Million) to do it.
Now, let's tackle the "good old days of Johnson Res" issue.
Again, the problem is the conservation pool. Before Johnson Res had a conservation pool, the lake was routinely drained. Small droughts would have this reservoir empty on a regular basis. This "natural" cleansing kept the numbers of "trash" fish down. Combine that with the state stocking catchable rainbows, and the fishery was typically pretty good.
Now, without the use of rotenone to kill the lake, it never gets a head start on the trash fish.
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The issue is not a problem with the dam, or the pipe coming out of the dam. The problem is that the water users want to be able to run more water out of Johnson, than the hydrolics of the river below the dam can handle. (too many cfs for the Fremont between Johnson and Mill Meadow). Mainly, it sounds like the water users want to run it dry, quicker than you really could. The DWR could have come up with a solution, but they weren't willing to foot the bill (over a Million) to do it.
Now, let's tackle the "good old days of Johnson Res" issue.
Again, the problem is the conservation pool. Before Johnson Res had a conservation pool, the lake was routinely drained. Small droughts would have this reservoir empty on a regular basis. This "natural" cleansing kept the numbers of "trash" fish down. Combine that with the state stocking catchable rainbows, and the fishery was typically pretty good.
Now, without the use of rotenone to kill the lake, it never gets a head start on the trash fish.
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