When an island is lost, a disturbing chain of events begins. River currents now enter the once-protected area, uprooting some of the aquatic vegetation. More vegetation beds are uprooted and lost because of the unchecked energy of waves rolling across miles of open water. The waves continue to build in size, eventually stirring up sediment from the bottom. Once the sediment is suspended in the water, it acts like a liquid veil, shading out light the underwater plants need to grow.
Plants die, and valuable habitat is lost.
Restoration here is aimed at reconstructing the islands. The Bertom and McCartney Lakes Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, located in the middle section of Pool 11, is an example of a project designed to help bluegills and largemouth bass survive harsh winters. Low levels of dissolved oxygen due to lack of depth, lack of flow and decomposing vegetation occasionally caused fish kills. River managers took a three-pronged approach to enhance fish and wildlife habitat. By lining the bottom of the channel with six different sizes of rock, managers created freshwater mussel habitat as well.