[env-trinity] Oregon Lakes Assn. newsletter

Wed Dec 11 10:28:40 PST 2013

The newsletter of the Oregon Lakes Association 

 http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Pictures/OLA_Logo.jpg

 LAKE WISE 

...a voice for quiet waters 

Winter 2013  

Editor:  

Roger Edwards 

OLA Works Well in Washington

As the rush into the year-end holiday season intensifies, there is reason to
pause briefly to consider some lingering lacustrine matters.  Several of
these items stem from the annual Conference in Vancouver WA last October.
Like the first joint OLA/WALPA Conference in 2006, the meeting was highly
successful by OLA standards.  Total registration was 154, a crowd large
enough to attract eleven major sponsors.  This turnout further distinguished
itself by the generous contributions made to, and the spirited participation
in the silent auction and raffles, which were part of the Conference
activities. 

Active OLA members are encouraged to watch for and return the election
ballots that were sent out on December 5th, and must be returned by the
18th.  Should the voting conform to expectations, the OLA Board will add
Larry Blumenstein as Secretary and Richard Litts, who has been appointed as
a Director.  Larry comes from Staats Lake in Keizer OR, and Richard is part
of the Tenmile Lakes Basin Partnership.  Other Board members for 2014 are
Steve Wille, continuing his term as President, Paul Robertson as
President-Elect, and Kit Rouhe as Treasurer.  Al Johnson and Andy Schaedel
begin new two year terms as Directors, and Wayne Carmichael and Theo Dreher
volunteered to extend their Director terms through 2015.  The terms of
Directors Michelle DeRosa, Trish Carroll, Vanessa Howard, and Rich Miller
run through 2014, and Ben Johnson, Karen Williams, and Roger Edwards will
let their Board participation expire.  Ben has served as Secretary and
Director from 2006.  Karen has been Secretary or President since 2006.
Roger has completed terms as Secretary, President, Director, and Lake Wise
editor from 1998.

As the Conference concluded, OSU grad student Connor Driscoll's poster
titled, "Putative Novel Cyanophage Genomes Identified from a Micrcystis
Bloom Metagenome" was recognized as the crowd favorite.   PSU grad student
Jeff Brittain was awarded the 2013 OLA scholarship to aid his research on
the response of alpine lakes to experimental simulations of atmospheric
nitrogen deposition.  Kristin Richardson, the recipient of the 2012 OLA
scholarship presented a progress report of her research on the sedimentary
history at Loon Lake.  Although it is only in its second year, the
scholarship is proving to be a very positive program for OLA.  The financial
stimulus it received at this Conference will boost Pacific Northwest lake
research for years to come.

This issue of Lake Wise is being published in both a printed and an
electronic version.  The printed issue will only be sent to current members,
and they may elect to waive this courtesy by contacting the webmaster at
OregonLakesAssociation at gmail.com.    The electronic format option is very
attractive to the Board as it offers a simple means to add color displays
and eliminate space limitations, while cutting printing and postage costs.
These features will make OLA's voice for quiet waters more effective, and
better demonstrate our appreciation to our Conference sponsors in this and
in subsequent issues.

While it is not exactly OLA news, Steve Wille is finalizing arrangements
with PSU's Center for Lakes and Reservoirs to endow a limnology lecture
series for visiting scholars.  The gift is Steve's tribute to his alma mater
and a way to extend the lake management perspective of CLR graduates beyond
local topics.  OLA's commitment to lake monitoring was reaffirmed in recent
weeks in a letter sent to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board over
concern about the falling water levels in Lake Abert.  Read on to learn how
OLA is working to sustain Oregon's HAB program. 

Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Updates

by OLA Board members Wayne Carmichael and Theo Dreher 

As Oregon's 2013 HAB season winds down, so does the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) sponsored HAB monitoring program for Oregon.  In response to
the increasing incidence of cyanobacteria harmful algae waterblooms, the CDC
funded 9 states to undertake a 5 year monitoring program beginning in 2008.
Oregon was one of those states and its HAB program was designed to:

.Track occurrence and characteristics of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs)

.Collect case reports of human and animal illness from exposure to HABs

.Alert public when a toxic bloom is detected

.Maintain relationships with partners to ensure continued collection of
quality environmental and health data

.Provide guidance on assessing health risks associated with HAB toxins

.Raise awareness through education and outreach

.Identify drinking water sources vulnerable to HABs

Current Status of Oregon's HAB Program:  As explained on the current Oregon
Health Authority (OHA) website:

*
http://public.health.oregon.gov?HealthyEnvironments/Recreation/HarmfulAlgaeB
looms/Pages/index.aspx
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=E85eFWXGBFHwbxBJFv%2bUccGRohic4wgd5nq50y2mCem%2f0FbkUwETznozvNjHX4nf6%2fa
lHkicrPExCSXzSj%2biSMwf2U17C%2bIXoknuzigiOOg%3d> .

"Staff of the Harmful Algae Bloom Surveillance (HABS) program has been
working to gain a better understanding about the occurrence of toxic algae
blooms in Oregon, and over the years has advised the public when a bloom has
been detected, so people can take protective action to avoid illness.
Funding for the HABS program ended as of September 30, 2013, and many
program functions are no longer available.   However, the Oregon Health
Authority (OHA) will continue to collect and review information on harmful
algae blooms and to inform the public through the issuing and lifting of
advisories when water sampling data warrants.  In order to issue and lift
advisories, the OHA must rely on water sampling performed, and data
provided, by our partners. OHA staff will also continue to answer any health
related questions, and will continue to receive illness reports for you or
your pets if you believe you have been exposed to a bloom.

"After September 30, we will continue to encourage our partners to submit
blue-green algae data on monitored lakes.  Without this data, program staff
are unable to advise the public on monitored waterbodies, and to make
recommendations regarding recreational activities.  We will also provide the
public with information for our partners (local health departments and
waterbody managers) who can give them the most up-to-date information about
local recreation areas, water quality and sampling."

OLA has agreed to be one of those partners.  OLA has agreed to pass on to
OHA reports of HABs and through our partner network we can provide
opportunities to stay connected to lake and HAB issues. OLA maintains a
database of contact information for these partners and invites you to
participate.  As a new contact and potential member, you will be eligible to
receive updates on upcoming HAB technical workshops and information on
conferences, educational training and events that OLA provides throughout
the year.  While membership is not required to receive announcements, it
does offer discounts on training and provides updates on OLA projects and
useful ways your agency or organization can help support them. 

OLA or its members will also help to coordinate the annual stakeholder
meetings, which have brought together people with varied interests in
freshwater cyanobacterial HABs to review recent blooms and advisories,
regulatory changes, monitoring practices, etc.  These meetings, held in
February or March, have become an important opportunity for connecting and
informing those with interests in HABs in Oregon. 

Oregon's HAB summary for 2013

Oregon had 12 advisories at 9 waterbodies in 2013 compared with just 9
advisories in 2012.  There was a reduced number of advisories over
historical numbers because of a decision by some waterbody managers to
perform toxin testing when a bloom is first identified, and then also
throughout the bloom lifecycle. This "toxin-based monitoring" provides
"actual" toxin and exposure data rather than "potential" for exposure to
toxins that may or may not be present at harmful levels.  When initial toxin
data show that health advisory guidelines for recreational waters are not
exceeded and therefore not harmful to human health, no advisory is issued.
This protocol allows the public to enjoy a lake or reservoir even though a
bloom is present.  Note that minor reactions such as skin rashes (caused by
bacterial LPS, lipopolysaccharide) may occur when contacting any
cyanobacterial bloom.  It is always good practice to avoid contact with any
scums associated with HABs.

When toxin testing is not performed, advisories are issued if lab analysis
identifies blue-green algae cells with the potential to produce toxins, and
at cell counts above recreational guideline values.  The table below
summarizes the current information on advisories issued and lifted
throughout the season for waterbodies that are monitored.  Only a fraction
of Oregon waterbodies are monitored due to limited resources.

 http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Documents/Lakewise/2013-12/HABS.JPG

*Important note about the South Umpqua River in Douglas County - There is a
permanent advisory in place for this portion of the river.  Signs are posted
along the shoreline at most popular river access routes.  Be aware of
stagnant pools of water that can be stranded in the bedrock along the
riverbank.  These pools are known to develop blue-green algae blooms that
can be very harmful to pets and children if exposed. 

Notes and Acknowledgements:

For a list of further resources regarding algae waterblooms in Oregon and
elsewhere please visit:
http://public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/DrinkingWater/Operations
/Treatment/Pages/algae.aspx
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=ZiUn8O7tl1cf9fTraiQRhjMYHXyf18FZyNc0I5QJUTJPH9XusiWYEE3GkKHTh2v84v1kw9oYG
AO3g3UhkGT24Q4lfyNYOCCIsMbfWz9nvE4%3d> .

OLA would like to acknowledge and thank the group at OHA's Center for
Prevention & Health Promotion who wrote and/or managed the program over the
past 5 years. This includes Deanna Connors who wrote the grant and was the
original co-PI along with Jae Douglas.  Laura Boswell was the first program
coordinator and Bonnie Widerburg was the public health educator.  Curtis
Cude managed the program all the way through while Jennifer Ketterman
coordinated it during the middle 3 years.  Rebecca Hillwig is the current
coordinator, and can be reached at rebecca.hillwig at state.or.us.  She and
Lorraine Backer (lfb9 at cdc.gov), the person responsible for initiating the
CDC cooperative program, would welcome comments regarding HAB programs.

HAB's to BAB's or life along the Klamath

By Jim Carpenter, www.CarpenterDesigns.com
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=c6nSwUYxc59OpWAiEcqagvEHTBsTWxh0KzLUzYocQ4PgndDTAQMC2ApZinmQs3jN%2f%2f2X0
6WquukUGkaB848VqFLRbisshndfYlm5IsPt1D0%3d> , www.BirdandBoating.com
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=XVUpEFl2L46HjXCCqoZ6ZZsYyT20npkFSObwVFzGAnsUzqGUBjtxjrnC9PWQjFTElSD6BXHxF
bNFPcHygFYMjozrRWpI20B1KcMiTivEArQ%3d> 

Greetings from river mile 257 on the Klamath.  Jim and Stephanie Carpenter
here, lakeside across from Putman's Point, one of the premiere birding,
fishing and boating locations on Upper Klamath Lake.  Mid-November now and
the huge squadrons of American White Pelicans have mostly left the lake for
warmer climes.  They seem to have had a great nesting year judging by the
number of fuzzy beaked young in the mix.  Now the Mergansers, Golden Eyes,
Buffleheads, Coots, Shovelers, and dozens more winter residents are settling
in. 

The Lake is beginning to refill now the summer irrigation season has ended.
In fact we're about a foot above last year's elevation at this time.  Last
year being an all time low, due to the drought and some anthropogenic
impacts upstream, associated with irrigation practices.  This year saw the
long anticipated water rights adjudication of the Lake and its tributaries,
and some calls on irrigators for the first time ever.  After decades the
Klamath has in place a system of allocating water diversions which most of
the rest of the West has lived under for a long time.  The Klamath Tribes'
time immemorial rights trumped those junior rights and more water was left
in the rivers to sustain the lake levels for the benefit of the two ESA
listed species of Suckers.  Not a popular outcome for many here who don't
like change.  (The Upper Basin irrigators have been largely unregulated for
over a hundred years).  Hay crops were lost, cattle sold or moved to greener
pastures and the Water Master with a lot of backup, went around notifying
irrigators to shut their headgates. 

However, on the Bureau of Reclamation Project lands farmers had a fairly
normal year and only some deliveries were cut back.  This was because of an
arrangement the Klamath Tribes made with the Project irrigators as a part of
the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA).  This, together with the
Klamath Hydro Settlement Agreement (KHSA) are the latest proposals for the
restoration of the ecology and economy of the entire Klamath River Basin,
but as many readers know these agreements are a long way from full
implementation due to the huge price tag and small but well connected and
vocal opposition from a segment of the population "change adverse" as
mentioned above.

<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=Jzl18gaNdsbfPIIlufZryMB9Ef1uCgBlAs0lHbYxqam3%2b29PgEX3KC8LLHwN13TsVsfM9jV
E8T6ZMWB%2bGD4Ao6eDAFAjkUx6z74snJOXjJ0%3d>
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=Jzl18gaNdsbfPIIlufZryMB9Ef1uCgBlAs0lHbYxqam3%2b29PgEX3KC8LLHwN13TsVsfM9jV
E8T6ZMWB%2bGD4Ao6eDAFAjkUx6z74snJOXjJ0%3d>
http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Documents/Lakewise/Ads/Nostoca.jpg
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=Jzl18gaNdsbfPIIlufZryMB9Ef1uCgBlAs0lHbYxqam3%2b29PgEX3KC8LLHwN13TsVsfM9jV
E8T6ZMWB%2bGD4Ao6eDAFAjkUx6z74snJOXjJ0%3d> The River flows on.  Even without
the agreements in place there are a lot of changes happening on the Klamath.
Better riparian management, wetland restoration and erosion control
structures are being put in place by agencies, groups and individuals up and
down stream.  Of course this is against the backdrop of well funded studies
in lieu of action which always seem to dominate the landscape.  A case in
point being PacifiCorp's foot dragging on getting the four big dams out of
the Klamath, two of which generate water conditions in the reservoirs ideal
for toxic blooms of Blue Green Algae (HAB's).  PacifiCorp proposed poisoning
the algae to disperse it: out of sight, out of mind. 

A free flowing river full of spawning salmonids, " volitional passage" in
fish-head jargon, sounds like a more viable approach.  It just seems like a
no brainer in comparison, but as we have noted change comes slowly to the
Klamath.

What about the BAB's?  Those are the "Beneficial Algae Blooms" we have in
Upper Klamath Lake.  This is another species: Aphanizominon Flos Aqua or AFA
for short, which is non-toxic, unlike the Anabaena or Microcystis that are
often the source of the HAB's.  AFA is the dominate algae species in Upper
Klamath Lake due to the unique environmental conditions, warm shallow water
with huge concentrations of Phosphorus from our volcanic geology.  It's this
abundance of Phosphorus which accounts for the BAB's :  it's what AFA eats.
For several decades now several local businesses have prospered harvesting
and marketing the AFA for a variety of nutritional purposes, that's why we
moved here 20 years ago.   Yet the conventional wisdom is that it is pond
scum, and the Lake a cesspool.  Not a pretty picture for those of us that
live on the Lake and have a little better understanding of what is really
going on. 

So here's what we're doing about it.  We recently purchased the Klamath
Belle, a reproduction paddle wheeler which had plied the Lake for years as
an excursion boat.  She had languished for some time along with the economy,
but now we have reconditioned, renamed and repurposed her as a research
vessel for the aquatic ecosystems of the Klamath.

She's now the Blue Green Belle and we hope will become a floating platform
for the promotion and restoration of the Klamath River system.  Once the 3rd
largest salmon producer on the west coast, largest Ponderosa Pine forest on
the planet, and agricultural cornucopia extraordinaire and still the largest
lake in the west, the Klamath needs to refocus the discussion around water
quality and quality of life including the economic potential of Blue Green
Algae, for the Klamath River is a Belle in her own right.  She just needs a
little TLC.

Two cents worth: questions surround floating marsh-pennywort in the
Willamette River

By Vanessa Morgan, PSU Center for Lakes and Reservoirs

Lush, fast-growing aquatic plants growing near Sellwood in the lower
Willamette River prompted calls to the Early Detection/Rapid Response
program of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) this past
September.  Concerned citizens at both the Portland Rowing Club (PRC) and
the Oregon Yacht Club (OYC) reported the plants because they were new to the
area and spreading quickly.  The plant in question at both sites is floating
marsh-pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) - in the same family as
terrestrial ornamental plants like English ivy (Hedera helix), paperplant
(Fatsia japonica), and ivy palm (Shefflera actinophylla).  But the spreading
buoyant stems of floating marsh-pennywort (hereafter 'pennywort') allow this
species to form large rafts or mats with vibrant, lobed green leaves
emerging above the water. It inhabits slow-flowing water on the edges of
rivers and lakes and in ditches where it forms dense interwoven mats of
vegetation.  Pennywort is considered native to large areas of the Americas
including Oregon; it is on conservation watch lists in Washington and
British Columbia and is listed as threatened or endangered in certain
northeastern U.S. states.  

So what is peaking interest in these new populations?  Although similar to
many pennywort stands in the Pacific Northwest, two factors make these new
populations distinctive.  Firstly, the leaves are nearly twice the normal
size; leaves of native plants are described as being 2-6 cm wide, whereas
the Sellwood plants were approximately 7-10 cm (see photo).  While aquatic
plants are known to be quite plastic in their response to environmental
factors like light and nutrients, the difference in this instance has been
compared to the clear difference between cultivated strawberries and their
wild parent species. Secondly, the growth rate at these new sites is
remarkable.  At the Portland Rowing Club site, plants were first noted in
June of this year and by September had stretched across 150 feet in an area
between the bank and a long dock.  Staff at BES, PSU's Center for Lakes and
Reservoirs (CLR), Metro and others are concerned these plants may be the
first instances of a potentially troublesome aquatic invader.  That concern
is tied into what is known about the both pennywort's biology and history
around the globe. 

Plants with wide native ranges such as this one are often known to have
distinct ecotypes - genetically distinct geographic varieties.  This plant's
popularity as an ornamental pond plant has led to its introduction in many
areas; it has become naturalized and is regarded as highly invasive in
Australia, and multiple countries within Asia, Europe and Africa.  In its
invaded range, leaves are described as typically 4-10 cm wide, but sometimes
as large as 18 cm.  Researchers generally believe these invasive plants in
Europe were imported from NorthAmerica, though that has not been clearly
determined.
http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Documents/Lakewise/2013-12/pennywort.JP
G

To make things more interesting, four distinct lineages have been identified
in Europe where this plant is clearly non-native and invasive.  To resource
managers and researchers in Oregon, this situation poses some interesting
questions.  Why are there two distinct types here in the Oregon - one of
which is apparently new, doesn't fully match local descriptions, and more
closely resembles invasive types in Europe?  Could it simply be native
pennywort responding to the specific conditions found along the Willamette
River?  To answer these questions, a common garden experiment is underway at
the CLR to compare growth of plants gathered at the PRC and OYC populations
to three populations from Oregon City, North Portland and Sauvie Island that
appear more "normal". Cuttings of plants will be potted in uniform sediment
and subjected to the same light and temperature conditions over the winter
and early spring and then compared for leaf size, stem diameter and rate of
growth.  If differences persist, that might point to this being an
introduced ecotype or a newly developed ornamental variety.  If that is the
case, genetic analysis might reveal the relationship between the two types
and, possibly between plants offered for sale in the ornamental trade. 

Can pennywort be deemed "invasive" or a "noxious" weed?  If the common
garden experiment and genetic research find evidence this is the native, it
cannot be deemed a noxious weed since it would not fit the legal description
as a "nonnative organism that cause economic or environmental harm".
However, native plants can behave invasively when they respond to modified
habitats or disturbance regimes in undesirable ways.  In areas of eastern
Oregon where western juniper is encroaching on native grasslands, land
managers are well-aware of the complexities surrounding management of an
invasive native.  If this pennywort is an introduced ecotype or hybrid,
there is precedence for distinguishing specific cultivars or varieties from
their parent species (i.e. butterfly bush and English ivy) in regards to
propagation and sale. 

Does it warrant removal or control?  The potential impacts from heavy stands
of pennywort include interference with recreational activities (boating,
swimming and fishing), shading of submerged plants, reduced dissolved oxygen
concentrations and the potential for fish kills.  Animals and children
sometimes mistake the dense mats of pennywort for solid land - putting them
at an increased risk for drowning.   Until more is known, troublesome
populations will remain in limbo.  So far management of these plants in
Portland has been limited.  In late September, BES decided to provide
control measures at the PRC; the central idea leading that decision was to
lessen potential spread downstream with winter storms until more is known.
After exploring the recommended treatment options, a chemical application
was completed using aquatic approved formulations of glyphosate.  This
single treatment appears to have been highly successfully with approximately
95% of the plants appearing affected a month afterwards.  The OYC population
is contained between floating booms and does not appear likely to be
disturbed; the homeowners have agreed to let the plants overwinter to allow
comparison to the treated site just up-river. 

We'll follow up on this story next summer, when results from the common
garden experiment are in and when more is known about other populations in
Oregon.  

A Rotenone Renovation for Lofton Reservoir

It was the need for an irrigation water supply that led Gilbert Lapham to
construct Lofton Reservoir in 1900.  The original dam was 6' high and
stretched 100' across the upper reaches of Fishhole Creek.  The stream forms
on the west slope of Fishhole Mountain in Lake County, and flows into
Klamath County to join the South Fork of the Sprague River.  This first
reservoir was just downstream of a series of seasonal pools, the largest of
which bears the name Lofton Lake.  In 1920, the reservoir was enlarged by
raising the height of the dam to 14' and extending it to a length of 179'.
The pool that stabilized behind the dam grew to an area of 33 acres, had a
capacity of 251 acre feet, and a maximum depth of 12'. 

http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Documents/Lakewise/Ads/Herrara.jpgLofto
n Reservoir was enlarged to its present size in 1959 when the Oregon State
Game Commission found the impoundment would be suitable for fish
propagation.  The dam is now 30' high and 250' long, and forms a 40 acre
pool with a 650 acre foot capacity that is sufficient to meet the water
rights for both irrigation and fish culture.  The project included the
addition of a simple campground and a boat ramp.  Periodic stocking with
rainbow trout showed that fingerlings would grow there to attain a size
attractive to area anglers.  The Oregon State Marine Board's 2008 ranking of
waterbody use places Lofton Reservoir at 201, between Grande Ronde Lake and
the Devils Lake of Deschutes County.  The Lofton Reservoir rating of 63
annual boat use days is also notable as only electric motors are permitted
on the reservoir.

Lately however, the fishing hasn't been so good.  Competition from Tui chub
and fathead minnows has increased to the point where just stocking rainbow
fingerlings no longer produces legal sized fish.  ODFW has compensated by
adopting a put and take strategy with legal, larger, and trophy sized
rainbows.  This stocking plan is more expensive than letting fingerlings
forage on their own, so the reservoir became a candidate for remediation.  

Since the highly successful rotenone treatment of Diamond Lake in 2006, ODFW
has continued to apply this remedy to troubled waterbodies.  With each
passing year, the agency acquires more experience, specialized equipment,
and trained personnel for these applications.  Rotenone is a natural plant
substance that effectively suffocates animals drawing oxygen from water,
while having little effect on air breathing animals.  At the concentration
used to kill fish, it poses little risk to application crews and it degrades
to an undetectable level within weeks.

ODFW presented the plan to treat Lofton Reservoir with rotenone at public
meetings in Lakeview and Klamath Falls in early September.  By delaying the
application until October, the project became simpler as Lofton Lake, which
is immediately upstream of the reservoir, is reduced to a creek at that time
of year.  Restrictions on the size and the number of game fish caught were
lifted for the summer until the season was closed on October 14th.  The
application occurred on October 22nd.  Powdered rotenone was used in the
reservoir and a liquid formulation was dripped into feeder streams.  The
reservoir will remain closed until March 31st, when an assessment will
determine future stocking levels.

Alligator Snapping Turtle and a Dam Removed from Crooked River Basin 

Acting on a report from a surprised fisherman, ODFW captured an alligator
snapping turtle (Macroclemys tenminckii) in Prineville Reservoir in mid
October.  It had surely been placed there by someone because the natural
range of these turtles is in the southeastern states of the US.  The species
is the largest of aquatic North American turtles; it is not uncommon for
individuals to weigh more than 150 pounds, so it was readily identified.
ODFW has previously found these turtles west of the Cascades.  However OAR
635-056-0050 (1) prohibits the importation, possession, sale, purchase,
exchange or transport of listed non-native species in the state, and
subsections (d) (A) (i) makes specific reference to all snapping turtles as
non-native species.  This perfectly fine specimen of a prohibited,
non-native species was therefore destroyed, emphasizing the Zero Tolerance
policy of ODFW regarding unwanted biological introductions.  Pythons for
Florida anyone? 

About 12 river miles downstream of Prineville Reservoir is the former
location of Stearns Dam.  It was built in 1911 by Sidney Stearns to divert
irrigation water from the Crooked River into Stearns Ditch.  Both the dam
and the ditch are recognized features in the Geographic Names Information
System of the USGS.  The dam's need for regular repair and maintenance
brought concrete reinforcements in 1934, and these enhancements persist as a
barrier to passage during low flows.  Water from Stearns Ditch is still used
to irrigate the fields now controlled by Quail Valley Ranch, but the
diversion point has long ago been moved downstream of Stearns Dam.  The dam
was notched in late October, setting off the final phase of the removal
project, which was completed incrementally over the following weeks.

The Crooked River flows for 125 miles from its origin at the merging of
Beaver Creek with the South Fork Crooked River, down to its confluence with
the Deschutes River in Lake Billy Chinook.  The direction of flow is west to
northwest through mostly arid rangelands and canyons, where typical
precipitation is just 8 to 12 inches per year.  It is not surprising then
that the Crooked River provides significant water for irrigation, even
though the water stored in Prineville Reservoir is not all allocated for
specific uses.  The Oregon Water Resources Department's 1978  map for the
Deschutes basin shows five dams between Lake Billy Chinook and the Bowman
Dam at Prineville Reservoir.  The Stearns dam is one of these, but there
remains a lot of work before the Crooked River flows free.

Should Applegate Lake Host Power Boating?

There is quite the controversy building in southern Oregon over the proposal
to lift the existing 10 mph speed limit at Applegate Lake.  This lake is a
USACE multi-purpose reservoir that began filling in Water Year 1981.  The
242' dam on the Applegate River forms a 988 acre pool with a capacity volume
of 82,000 acre-feet, in the southwest corner of Jackson County.  The
reservoir is large enough to accommodate power boats, although it has a
linear shape that undulates over a 4.5 mile length, and a secondary arm
along its Squaw Creek tributary.  The Oregon State Marine Board ranks
Applegate Lake at 45th among Oregon waterbodies for annual boat use days in
their 2008 Triennial Survey.  The totals recorded were 10,119 for fishing
and 576 for cruising.  Emigrant Lake is a comparably linear, 878 acre
reservoir within 30 miles to the east of Applegate Lake.  It is ranked 30th,
with totals of 6928 for fishing, 3514 for use of personal water craft, 6852
for waterskiing, and 1412 for cruising.

In April and May of 2013, ODFW stocked Applegate Lake with a total of 21,000
legal trout plus 500 larger sized trout.  The challenge to this established
fishery asks the OSMB to open the reservoir to power boating while keeping
no-wake zones at Harr Point Campground, the French Gulch boat ramp, the cove
neat Carberry Campground, and the Seattle Bar area.  The petitioners argue
that the reservoir would be better utilized if more categories of recreation
were allowed there, and the change would also relieve congestion at Emigrant
Lake.  Anglers counter that their tranquility would be lost and the
reservoir would be threatened with elevated turbidity from bank wash
produced by the wakes from high speed boating.  Water quality is an issue at
Applegate Lake because it can provide water from any depth to optimize
conditions downstream and in the Rogue River.

The OSMB will hear testimony on the question at a meeting scheduled for the
evening of December 16th, at Medford Library, 205 Central Avenue.  Written
comments will be accepted until December 31st, and should be sent to
osmb.rulemaking at state.or.us, or June LeTarte, Rules Coordinator, 435
Commercial Street NE, Salem OR 97301.  A decision of whether to proceed with
rulemaking will be announced at the January 9th OSMB meeting in Portland. 

http://www.oregonlakes.org/Resources/Documents/Lakewise/Ads/YSI-EXO-ad-halfp
age.JPG

LAKE WISE  The Oregon Lakes Association Newsletter  2013 #4

OLA Mission:  The Oregon Lakes Association, a non-profit organization
founded in 1990, promotes understanding, protection, and thoughtful
management of lake and watershed ecosystems in Oregon.  For additional
information on OLA visit our website.     OLA welcomes submissions of
material that furthers our goals of education and thoughtful lake management
in Oregon, and is grateful for the corporate support that helps sustain the
organization. Corporate members are offered a one-time opportunity to
describe their product or service to Lake Wise readers.  These descriptions
are not endorsements, and opinions appearing in Lake Wise are not OLA policy
statements.

Follow us on Twitter
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=BoPlTHuWWM96%2b%2bQDyEEuKjtNzBkYEaDFidyxm%2fmZ8%2bI9HWRMelB6EdBdSMlLViZHX
IP7rgyP44JutIt85khVu8qSxoKFKK8B1hlTGKLDvTU%3d>     |    Find us on Facebook
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=rUI8X0AzGF1HYoRFAAsI3p%2bbDzl%2bfope%2b5%2fsq823Ij6%2fzAVX8j1UjU%2fXZEY9a
Hrd%2f1MxjeBQOKjiZUDb1Dc9PK1eF0N8bMFnLbQUQOXO0Aw%3d> 

Visit us online at:
<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=Vhqdi0liZSIiNmdC4x9FrLh5Zelu%2bwRTZsGuEwIkZJMo0zfWSN0%2fmqUzt8snRHuUStjPC
lNDOMCIhOwsRPg9r7ToPpH20E8WCXpJKwuOKkk%3d> http://www.oregonlakes.org/

<http://www.oregonlakes.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCo
de=j09TTWbP%2bUngvecelCvBZsl%2fgmsm8NER7CJAKq7%2bi3%2fN0E6yH3c35S2u3Pnn7jwxM
tvubXr8Ur4p2xmEI7d0fUIKMcssZ%2f8IfdBgsFU%2fZOk%3d&email=info%2540carpenterde
sign.com&type=2> Unsubscribe

Visit our Websites:

www.CarpenterDesign.com

www.BirdingandBoating.com

Phone: 541 885 5450

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20131211/131c123d/attachment.html>