Fishing Takes a Hit During Dam Maintenance at Arizona Lake

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WB Staff
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Fishing Takes a Hit During Dam Maintenance at Arizona Lake

Post by WB Staff »

alamolake-1.jpg
Ten feet of water is being drained from Alamo Lake, on the Bill Williams River near Wenden, so Army Corps of Engineers can make long-overdue repairs to the dam. (Photo by Angel Mendoza/Cronkite News)


WENDEN – Hundreds of boaters and anglers pass through this small rural farming community every year, headed to the Alamo Lake, 3,500 acres of crystal clear water touted as one of the best fishing spots in Arizona.

The desert oasis, with a population of about 1,000, thrives on tourism this time of year because of its abundance of non-native fish, including largemouth bass, blue gills and black crappie.

But in the past few weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers slowly has been lowering lake levels to repair Alamo Dam, which forms the reservoir and protects downstream communities in the Bill Williams River Valley from flooding. Officials with the Arizona Game & Fish Department and others say the recent project is threatening the fish population and revenues at Lake Alamo State Park.

“Without a doubt, some eggs will be lost as a result of a water level decline,” said David Weedman, aquatic habitat program manager for Game & Fish. “Some nests will be dried up. Some nests will be abandoned by the parents who are protecting it.”

The dam maintenance hasn’t been done in 27 years, said Col. Kirk Gibbs, the commander for the Los Angeles district of the Corps of Engineers. The work is supposed to be done every five years, but “operation/safety constraints” have prevented that since 1990, according to a March report from the Corps of Engineers.
Read the rest: http://ktar.com/story/2009581/alamo-lak ... intenance/
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Mitch
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Re: Fishing Takes a Hit During Dam Maintenance at Arizona Lake

Post by Mitch »

So, if it's been long overdue, why couldn't they have waited until AFTER the spawn to lower the water level ?? Is this just more of the apparent ignorance of the powers that control ??? It just boggles the mind at what they do and when they do it !!!
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bryanmc
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Re: Fishing Takes a Hit During Dam Maintenance at Arizona Lake

Post by bryanmc »

Nothing new... Alamo has been mismanaged for years. It's a shame.
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