DO levels have dropped on Taney

[Phil Lilley]

Our seasonal low DO (dissolved oxygen) levels have dropped to below 4 parts per million.  The Corp is now and has been injecting liquid O2 into the turbines when generating to keep the levels above 4.  They're actually peaking about 7 ppm during afternoon/evening generation, according to the Corp site gage.  I'm getting 4.5 ppm at the dock consistently, day and night.  The Corp site says the lake water temp is just above 50.

It's imperative that you handle trout in a proper way to keep from killing a trout that you intend to release.

Think of it this way -- you run hard and fast at high altitude (the top of Pike's Peak) and you're out of breath.  The air is thin already and you're trying to get your breath.  Then someone shoves your head underwater. No air.  No air for a minute.... two minutes.  You may revive a bit when returned to thin air but really you're done.  Brain dead.

So you catch and land a big trout.  Hard and long fight, may be on 2 pound line or 7x.  Net the fish.  Take it out of the water (don't want to lose it!).  Admire it.  Take a picture.  It's probably too late to release it.  Even if it swims off, it will go to the bottom (trout don't float) and lay in the silt and mud.  Its gills fill with silt, further choking it.  It's dead.  This happened to a 26 inch brown yesterday, although it wasn't released.  It was brought in to the dock for us to revive.  Its color had already started to decline.

As we get further into the fall months, the lake water will get warmer and the DO will continue to drop.  It happens each year--nothing new here.  Lake water temperatures are cooler than normal which is a good thing.  This will cause less stress on our trout.  But one still has to be careful and be smart about handling our rainbows and browns.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Thx.  I’m coming down next week.  Might leave the boat at home.   

[Nick Adams]

They ran .01 generators today. Was that for the 02? It really changed it down there today. I didn't know were to go.