Flaming Gorge Technical Working Group

May 17, 2013, 10:00 am

Conference Call Record 

Attending:

Reclamation: Malcolm Wilson, Heather Hermansen, Dave Speas, Peter Crookston

Service: Kevin McAbee, Tildon Jones

Western: Jerry Wilhite, Kirk LaGory

Recovery Program: Tom Chart, Jana Mohrman, Kevin Bestgen

UDWR: Matt Breen

Hydrology and Proposal: 

The current hydrology is in the moderately dry classification. Reclamation recommends operating in the 

moderately dry hydrologic condition and release water to benefit entrainment or for the moderately dry 

duration target. The floodplains will be operated this year to fill from the outlet. If operations are 

similar to last year then the group will be happy with the results. Once Flaming Gorge releases are 

increased and entrainment has occurred and the system is at a point of diminishing returns with the 

Yampa River decreasing, how do we communicate back that the gates are closed? There’s a larval 

sampling communication list that includes Dave, Heather, the Service and the Stewart Lake contact at 

UDWR. 

Larval Update: 

The prediction on larval fish is tough to make this year because of cold water temperatures. No sucker 

larvae of any species have been caught in the traps to date. On schedule to continue trapping through 

the weekend and full bore next week. The biologists have less faith in seeing the fish because of the 

cold temperatures. It appears that the middle of next week earliest to expect them. Kevin Bestgen 

indicated that the river isn’t close to average thermal conditions, which is unusual with flows like this. 

There are opposite conditions on the river this year with lower anticipated peak flows and lower 

temperatures. It is a unique situation. The group decided to save overtime hours for next weekend, not 

trap over the weekend and begin trapping again on Monday. Bruce Haines will confirm and verify 

captured larvae this year, which negates the need to wait for lab results. Uncertainty remains whether 

the Yampa has peaked and what we can expect with flows, snow, weather. Implementation of the LTSP 

requires patience and the use of daily operations information. 

Kevin Bestgen discussed the natural entrainment process for the floodplains. Natural flood pulses 

decrease and then a new pulse in system attempts to raise the river stage. The pulses are significant 

and the secondary pulse could be important if at the right river stage. Having missed a few fish early in 

the year is not necessarily a miss because the reproductive season occurs over period of time with 

important river pulses occurring in middle or toward end of the Yampa River peak. Waiting for the 
secondary pulses is beneficial because it means greater entrainment in the floodplains at higher 

densities of fish. The highest abundance doesn’t occur within the first sighting. It’s important to wait 

for a few days during the flow ramp up, although the tradeoff is that the Yampa is usually decreasing to 

base flows.

Floodplain Update: 

The Escalante (Thunder Ranch) floodplain is currently filling with water through the outlet at lower flows 

than originally anticipated. Escalante is another wetland being studied this year that the Recovery 

Program weren’t anticipating being available. The Service is comparing Escalante to Cliff Creek to see if 

the timing is similar. There were reports of carp dropping into the wetland at Escalante.

Stewart Lake: Last year there was clear identification where the experiment was lacking. This year 

UDWR has weir placement in Stewart Lake to keep out nonnatives and supplemental water when there 

is entrainment. Last year didn’t receive any benefit because there were so many nonnatives. The goal 

this year is to keep out smarter nonnatives with the goal of keeping the larvae alive longer through the 

summer before releasing them back to the river. The weir excludes nonnatives in Stewart Lake, which 

are mostly adult carp. The weir is set at a quarter inch and connected to the cement structure rather 

than the canal. The weir excludes anything larger than 1⁄4 inch from going into Stewart Lake. If native 

fish are caught in the weir they will be placed into the wetland. Have a large carp pit already dug so 

prepared to get rid of those guys. Once there has been a positive id on larvae and the wetland equalizes 

with river then the plan is to close the gates. Sampling is being done by the Service as part of their longterm modeling rather than by UDWR. The plan is to set additional traps when entrainment occurs. 

Old Charlie: The Service hasn’t received the permits from the tribe nor have they sent anything. The 

last communication with the tribe indicated there had been an election and the tribe was undergoing 

changing membership, which is creating a backlog in the system. The Service plans to look at Escalante 

Ranch rather than Old Charlie. There is the possibility that the permits could be approved but it’s in the 

balance.

Above Brennan: The Service hasn’t sampled Above Brennan to date in order to see if there is any 

connection. They are planning on setting traps tomorrow. Above Brennan is not a gated floodplain so 

there isn’t a management strategy to be implemented similar to Stewart Lake or Old Charlie Wash.

Next meeting May 22, 2013.