Beaver Lake Tailwater To Holiday Island Striper

[vuekid]

are there any confirm stripers below horseshoe bend?

[Feathers and Fins]

Um that is beaver lake they are in the entire lake.

[vuekid]

what I meant was upper horseman bend towards table rock.

[bfishn]

I remember at least 2 years where AGFC actively moved washouts back to Beaver, as reported in the paper with some personnel quotes. Unless policy has changed, they don't want any down there. I did the math once on how many $ of hatchery trout (at $2.50/lb) a big lineside can mack in a year, your ~$20 tags wouldn't start to cover that bill.

[Feathers and Fins]

I wouldn't want it for the trout or the striper as a stocking per say but to enhance the area as I said. We all know how beautiful it is above water but it would be nice to see some big boulders installed like they did last year on Taneycomo or improvements to banks and access points, I can think of many things that could be done to enhance the area for people and fish as I am sure most could. I think of it as a beautiful area to spend the day in summer and beat the heat and if a tag could generate only a few thousand dollars a year that still more than goes to it now. Why not take advantage of something like that?

[bfishn]

You missed the flood around 1990 that douched everything to Houseman slick as a whistle. Trout Unlimited led the charge, and with multi-agency cooperation made it even better than it was.

http://www.arkansaschaptertu.org/about/accomplishments

What we still choose to ignore is that anything you do there will eventually get washed away again.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ya you have a point on that but while it last it would be nice.

[JohnF52]

You missed the flood around 1990 that douched everything to Houseman slick as a whistle. Trout Unlimited led the charge, and with multi-agency cooperation made it even better than it was.

http://www.arkansaschaptertu.org/about/accomplishments

What we still choose to ignore is that anything you do there will eventually get washed away again.

The flood gate openings of (I think) 2008 released much more water at once than that one in 1990. A house was badly flooded downstream. The gates have been opened several times in the last decade: 2002, 2004, 2008, twice in 2011. I don't recall a 1130 elevation level event between 1990 and 2002. The Corps don't seem to care if they damage the river or property that the dam is there to protect. The gates have been open too wide for too short a period looking at it historically. The same total volume releases could have been accomplished with longer gate openings at less flow rates with minimal damage.

[Feathers and Fins]

I certainly remember 8 and 11, that is how many stripers get in the White or so we hope I have suspicions that some are taken from Beaver to the White from anglers. Flood control I have always snickered at if the control authorities would just simply open each lake at the same level then water can be released without need of Gates being opened if they do it before storms hit and leave them open during and for a time after. Every Plumber knows which way water flows ( is a pg forum ). I know I know its Power source and Drinking water source first and fish and houses below the dams don't matter, well at least that seems to be the reasoning.

But that brings up an interesting topic. All the lakes and Rivers I listed above have one common theme and that is the constant flow of water during the striper spawn. If they were to have a constant flow the odds are higher the stripers may have a successful spawn. One of the reasons I have concerns of stocking the upper white is those fish could spawn in some of the longer river arms of TR and that would increase the chances. Granted it hasn't happened yet but it is a speculation. Still say a trophy walleye are would be very cool though.

[JohnF52]

The Corps would be heavily criticized for dropping the lake before a storm, as rainfall amounts are highly unpredictable in NWA, and the lake could get very low by the end of a summer. For example: Four inches of rain was predicted for the past four days, and I gauged a half inch or so at my place.

What I was saying is they did not have to release 80,000 cfs or so for five hours in 2008. They then reduced it after the damage was done and someone grasped some sense. They could have released the same total amount over two or three days. Someone at the Corps office likely over reacted and in a knee jerk, they opened the gates nearly full and flooded and scoured everything down Past Houseman. This was 2008. Not even a 100 yr flood, but the lake was already high. On April 24, 2004 there was a 130 year flood on the upper white. 140,000 cfs at Wyman Bridge. Water lapping at the bottom of 45 Bridge. I was there at both sites when it happened. The road washed partly out on the east end at Wyman. The bridge was nearly new. The flood gates at Beaver were not opened excessively and all was fine.

Btw, the floods of 2008 and 2011 on the upper white each registered about 53,000 cfs peak at Wyman Bridge.