How many times you seen this in August

[CaymasRodney]

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Like I said, just kidding, he’s one of my best friends and knows how to put them in the boat!!

[csurp]

This beating a dead horse, I know, but Fish and Wildlife has a pretty good handle on which types of water level changes in the spring enhance bass reproduction. Maybe its time to bring all the recent political support to bear on the TVA/Corps of Engineers to manage water levels occasionally for bass reproduction. This would only have to be done every two or three years to maintain a decent fishery. I know that the original authorization for the lakes provided for flood control and power...not fish reproduction so here is a thought. Money is not going to be the only answer. Get Mitch McConnel to enter a bill re-authorizing TVA lakes to include fish and wildlife as primary purposes of the lakes. This in itself may be enough to bring TVA and the Corps to the table for talks related to water level management.

Now that being said, I am not entirely sure the problem with the bass population is low reproduction. It is possible sufficient numbers of fry are being produced but they are not making it through to recruitment. That is another matter entirely.

[07vette]

This beating a dead horse, I know, but Fish and Wildlife has a pretty good handle on which types of water level changes in the spring enhance bass reproduction. Maybe its time to bring all the recent political support to bear on the TVA/Corps of Engineers to manage water levels occasionally for bass reproduction. This would only have to be done every two or three years to maintain a decent fishery. I know that the original authorization for the lakes provided for flood control and power...not fish reproduction so here is a thought. Money is not going to be the only answer. Get Mitch McConnel to enter a bill re-authorizing TVA lakes to include fish and wildlife as primary purposes of the lakes. This in itself may be enough to bring TVA and the Corps to the table for talks related to water level management.

Now that being said, I am not entirely sure the problem with the bass population is low reproduction. It is possible sufficient numbers of fry are being produced but they are not making it through to recruitment. That is another matter entirely.

You may be on to something here. Good post

[hulapopr]

This beating a dead horse, I know, but Fish and Wildlife has a pretty good handle on which types of water level changes in the spring enhance bass reproduction. Maybe its time to bring all the recent political support to bear on the TVA/Corps of Engineers to manage water levels occasionally for bass reproduction. This would only have to be done every two or three years to maintain a decent fishery. I know that the original authorization for the lakes provided for flood control and power...not fish reproduction so here is a thought. Money is not going to be the only answer. Get Mitch McConnel to enter a bill re-authorizing TVA lakes to include fish and wildlife as primary purposes of the lakes. This in itself may be enough to bring TVA and the Corps to the table for talks related to water level management.

Now that being said, I am not entirely sure the problem with the bass population is low reproduction. It is possible sufficient numbers of fry are being produced but they are not making it through to recruitment. That is another matter entirely.

so who do you decide gets flooded out to save some bass?

[csurp]

so who do you decide gets flooded out to save some bass?

I don't think anyone wants to see flooding. I am talking about finding some optimal solution that factors in multiple interests not just flood control and power. The bass option may only be available every two or three years when conditions in the watershed and on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers make it possible. It actually become more complicated. I think conditions that enhance crappie reproduction are opposite those that enhance bass reproduction. Gonna have to be some give and take.

By the way, Kentucky fishermen are not the only users impacted by single purpose Federal water management projects. This is a nationwide issue.

[07vette]

so who do you decide gets flooded out to save some bass?

we get to pick? Lol

[wavewhacker]

Come on down to the big lakes ,popr, you'll see what he is talking about. I for one, cannot see the reason for a constant seasonal drawdown starting in July ! There is why too much boating time left in the year. As for who gets flooded, Monitoring during, constant if needed, is the answer to that statement . Not trying to step on toes, but, they're are always other solutions to the final one decided.

[GRR884]

I for one, cannot see the reason for a constant seasonal drawdown starting in July ! There is why too much boating time left in the year.

TVA cares less about boaters.

[hulapopr]

Come on down to the big lakes ,popr, you'll see what he is talking about. I for one, cannot see the reason for a constant seasonal drawdown starting in July ! There is why too much boating time left in the year. As for who gets flooded, Monitoring during, constant if needed, is the answer to that statement . Not trying to step on toes, but, they're are always other solutions to the final one decided.

Been there many times over the years.Tva is not going to gamble on flood control
to save some fish.

[Ky-triton]

Come on down to the big lakes ,popr, you'll see what he is talking about. I for one, cannot see the reason for a constant seasonal drawdown starting in July ! There is why too much boating time left in the year. As for who gets flooded, Monitoring during, constant if needed, is the answer to that statement . Not trying to step on toes, but, they're are always other solutions to the final one decided.

I am not sure TVA starts drawing down Kentucky Lake in July, but the lower water levels allow some grass to grow in the bays.

[jmt870]

Yes. It starts in July. I’ve heard it allows stuff to grow on the shoreline to help with erosion control.

[Greenwing1]

Yes. It starts in July. I’ve heard it allows stuff to grow on the shoreline to help with erosion control.

That is what I've heard also. Another thing I heard was that the remaining buck brush wouldn't survive if the water was on it any longer than it is now.

[nmaxwell0003]

so who do you decide gets flooded out to save some bass?

If you own land on ky lake and get flooded out it’s your own fault. They clearly tell you were the 372 ft water marker is and anything below that shouldn’t be a permanent structure. TVA could keep it at 359-363 all year long and it wouldn’t affect anything. The only time we have “flooding” is in the spring, the same time that they’re raising the water to summer pool so the water level is like a roller coaster

[hulapopr]

If you own land on ky lake and get flooded out it’s your own fault. They clearly tell you were the 372 ft water marker is and anything below that shouldn’t be a permanent structure. TVA could keep it at 359-363 all year long and it wouldn’t affect anything. The only time we have “flooding” is in the spring, the same time that they’re raising the water to summer pool so the water level is like a roller coaster

Has a lot more involved then just ky lake property.
and in a few years your buck bush is drowned out
along with any other shallow cover as far as fishing
goes,flowers,spring grasses etc.

[Ky 520c]

Has a lot more involved then just ky lake property.
and in a few years your buck bush is drowned out
along with any other shallow cover as far as fishing
goes,flowers,spring grasses etc.

Exactly, fact is Ky Lake is 2.5 times bigger in storage than any other lake on the Tenn. River unfortunately we are the “storage tank” of the chain and being the last lake downhill... well you know what runs downhill

[CaymasRodney]

[IMG][/IMG]This was taken this morning (Saturday) at Ken Lake, only three trailers there!![IMG][/IMG]

[woppercatcher]

Hope it stays that way. That way when I come up,there in the spring it won't be so crowded!

[Ky-triton]

If you own land on ky lake and get flooded out it’s your own fault. They clearly tell you were the 372 ft water marker is and anything below that shouldn’t be a permanent structure. TVA could keep it at 359-363 all year long and it wouldn’t affect anything. The only time we have “flooding” is in the spring, the same time that they’re raising the water to summer pool so the water level is like a roller coaster

Don’t think he meant flooding on Ky lake. If the lake level was kept high all year, there wouldn’t be capacity to minimize downstream flooding.

[CaymasRodney]

Don’t think he meant flooding on Ky lake. If the lake level was kept high all year, there wouldn’t be capacity to minimize downstream flooding.

Right, Paducah, Cairo, Cape would all be flooded, not a lot of room to spare there!!!

[JR19]

I am not sure TVA starts drawing down Kentucky Lake in July, but the lower water levels allow some grass to grow in the bays.

Yes. It starts in July. I’ve heard it allows stuff to grow on the shoreline to help with erosion control.

That is what I've heard also. Another thing I heard was that the remaining buck brush wouldn't survive if the water was on it any longer than it is now.

Lake Barkley is a big lake but looking at the big picture it's just a drop in the bucket. The Cumberland river water system starts in eastern KY and drops down into Tennessee and goes back up into KY. Lake Barkley is the last lake in the chain on the cumberland watershed basin. The water discharged from Barkley flows into the Ohio River which is supplied by multiple water systems from the eastern United States. Then the Ohio flows into the Mississippi River which is pretty much a watershed for all of the central United States from north to south. Were now talking BILLIONS of gallons of water, hence the reason I say Barkley is just a drop in the bucket. In order to get all that water to the gulf of mexico before the winter/spring wet season sets in they have to start pulling water several months in advance. They all have to flow in sequence in order to get down to winter pool well before the wet season begins.

Long story short...People don't really think about it but if you live in KY or pretty much anywhere in the central United States the rain that's falling and running off on your property ends up in the gulf of mexico one way or another. It takes months for this to happen.