Pineview Reservoir deep water structure enhancement
Project ID: 4510
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2019
Submitted By: 46
Project Manager: Kent Sorenson
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Northern Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northern
Description:
Young panfish, particularly yellow perch have been shown to use deep water as refugia from predation. We plan to add some artificial structure elements to enhance their survival to recruitment.
Location:
Pineview Reservoir, Weber County, UT
Project Need
Need For Project:
Although panfish populations can be cyclical in nature, Pineview Reservoir often experiences extremes, with a single year class completely dominating the population. This can happen in any of the bluegill, black crappie and/or yellow perch populations. Protection of younger individuals has often been thought of in terms of littoral cover, often unavailable in 'normal' water years due to irrigation demand drawdown. Recent findings in Europe have indicated that deep water habitat may be key in protecting these vulnerable life history stages (yellow perch in particular).
Objectives:
Place artificial structures portions of the deep, hypolimnetic areas of Pineview Reservoir to allow young panfish (yellow perch, primarily) an enhanced opportunity for survival from predation.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
Although there is currently no evidence to suggest that Pineview is in danger of a collapse of the forage assemblage, water use trends have diminished the number of years that water remains at an elevation conducive to good survival of young fish. Demand for water will not drop, and insuring that there is some nursery and escape habitat for young fish is likely going to be important.
Relation To Management Plan:
UDWR Constituency goals
Fire / Fuels:
n/a
Water Quality/Quantity:
n/a
Compliance:
n/a
Methods:
Place artificial habitat structures in deep water areas of Pineview reservoir generally in close proximity to spawning areas of primary panfish species. The goal is to place structures in 'patches' of approximately 0.1-0.25 acre areas. Aquatics biologists will be consulted to target the most advantageous areas for the structures.
Monitoring:
Area will be mapped with down scan and side scan sonar to document habitation and size of treated area. If water clarity permits, underwater video will be taken to show use of these areas and to corroborate findings of sonar. Trend netting will continue at Pineview to document changes in fish assemblage.
Partners:
none Rocky Mountain Anglers?
Future Management:
Pineview will continue to be managed as a Blue Ribbon fishery for tiger muskies and as a sportfishery for black bass, yellow perch, black crappie, and bluegill.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
n/a
Budget WRI/DWR Other Budget Total In-Kind Grand Total
$14,500.00 $1,500.00 $16,000.00 $1,500.00 $17,500.00
Item Description WRI Other In-Kind Year
Materials and Supplies Artificial habitat structures $12,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2019
Materials and Supplies Grant from Muskies. Inc. (applied for) for additional structures. $0.00 $1,500.00 $0.00 2019
Equipment Purchase Sonar; GPS capable with downscan and sidescan sonar. Case and portable transducer bracket. $2,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 2019
Other In-kind labor for habitat install; Muskies, Inc. Chapter 65. $0.00 $0.00 $1,500.00 2019
Funding WRI/DWR Other Funding Total In-Kind Grand Total
$14,500.00 $1,500.00 $16,000.00 $1,500.00 $17,500.00
Source Phase Description Amount Other In-Kind Year
Blue Ribbon (Restricted) BRRF $7,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 2019
Habitat Council Account HCRF $7,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2019
Muskies, Inc Muskie, Inc. Chapter 65 Grant applied for - structure materials In-kind labor for placing structures - 1500 $0.00 $1,500.00 $1,500.00 2019
Species
Species "N" Rank HIG/F Rank
Black Crappie R4
Threat Impact
Dam / Reservoir Operation High
Black Crappie R4
Threat Impact
Droughts Very High
Bluegill R3
Threat Impact
Dam / Reservoir Operation High
Bluegill R3
Threat Impact
Droughts Very High
Tiger Muskellunge R3
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Yellow Perch R3
Threat Impact
Dam / Reservoir Operation High
Yellow Perch R3
Threat Impact
Droughts Very High
Habitats
Habitat
Open Water
Threat Impact
Dam / Reservoir Operation Low
Open Water
Threat Impact
Droughts High
Open Water
Threat Impact
Water Allocation Policies Very High
Project Comments
Comment 01/25/2018 Type: 1 Commenter: Jimi Gragg
Same as for 4508 - just make sure to clarify how the proposed actions will avoid/minimize/compensate for the threats listed to these habitats & species.
Comment 01/29/2018 Type: 1 Commenter: Kent Sorenson
The water use and drought impact are intimately related as Weber Basin Water Conservancy District has the ability to alter its water use patterns based on water year. Drought conditions will dictate an altered use pattern vs. years where water is more plentiful. Having deep water structure will mitigate those altered water quantity regimes by insuring that there is escape habitat for YOY fish at any water release plan.
Comment 01/31/2018 Type: 1 Commenter: Paul Thompson
Pineview is an important Blue Ribbon fishery in Northern Utah. If the pan fishery can be stabilized and become more consistent with the placement of these structures, not only will the pan fishery improve, the top predators in the system (tiger muskie) should benefit. Kudos in using current science to help manage this fishery.
Comment 08/27/2019 Type: 2 Commenter: Alison Whittaker
This report is hard to follow to understand what the project actually was. It looks like you have just jotted down some thoughts prior to completing the report. Please also enter any missing expenses, highlighted in rust, on the Finance Page. Thanks.
Completion
Start Date:
07/11/2018
End Date:
01/09/2019
FY Implemented:
2019
Final Methods:
Structures purchased from Pond King and Fishiding on July 11 & 12. Recruited Chapter 65 Muskies Inc (MI) for structure prep. Additional structures purchased from Mossback Habitat on Oct. 12. Recruit MI volunteers for labor; deployment scheduled for Oct. 16. Scheduled date for Mossback structures is week of Oct. 22. Mossback structures were placed November 7 due to postponement from illness and weather. Evaluation and monitoring was initiated shortly thereafter via underwater video, sonar and angling for ground truth. Purchase of sonar was re-evaluated and cancelled in favor of utilizing a personal boat w/ equivalent sonar and paying equipment hire. This resulted in a substantial savings. Aquatics Section graciously provided a boat for substantial portions of the structure placement.
Project Narrative:
Purchase structures early July, perform baseline sonar mapping late July/early August, deploy structures pre-turnover. All of the Fishiding structures and one Pond King honey hole were deployed on Oct. 16. Cold weather made bending/creasing the vinyl of the Fishiding difficult and many just broke. It also made cure time for the quickrete anchoring system of the Honey Holes take too long. We loaded the bases back into the truck and left them indoors overnight so the Quickrete would cure. They were then deployed on Oct. 17. GPS coordinates were recorded for all areas where structures were placed. Monitoring indicated that colonization by small perch and crappies began to occur shortly after deployment. By Mid-January, virtually every structure had fish habitation associated with it.
Future Management:
Map structure area after deployment and presumably colonization. It has been recommended by Northern Region Aquatics Section that we repeat a larger version of this project for FY2020.
Map Features
ID Feature Category Action Treatement/Type
6609 Aquatic/Riparian Treatment Area Lake/Wetland/Pond Improvements Habitat structure(s) (submerged)
Project Map
Project Map