Fisheries are sure to rebound when big rains finally come
These afternoon thunder boomers have been nice, but they still don't change the fact that we're smack in the middle of one of the worst dry spells Texas has seen in decades. That's hard to believe, considering the catastrophic floods bearing down on our neighbors to the east. As the old saying goes, "It is what it is."
Evidence of the prolonged drought can be seen in just about every reservoir, spring, stream, river and pond from the Panhandle south to the Texas brush country.
In eastern Texas, where I'm from, water levels on area lakes have dipped well below normal. While a few are already tapping record lows, others are well on their way.
When will it all end? Nobody knows. But unless we get some significant moisture soon -- some true gully washers -- water levels will keep right on skidding in the wrong direction.
Adding to the strain are day-to-day consumer demands and daily evaporation rates that are sure to increase once summer sets in, especially during the hottest months of July and August.
Anyone who has paid a visit to a lake or reservoir sucked low by droughty conditions is well aware of what it means. For those who have not, the picture looks pretty grim. On the surface, anyway.
As water levels drop, stumps, rocks, old buildings, fence rows, bridges, and other stuff that was inundated when the lake filled rise increasingly close to the surface.
The same holds true for points of land that jut from shore, and humps, sandbars, high spots and ridges that roll with the contour of the land. These are all potential hazards that could spell unexpected disaster for recreational boaters and anglers alike.
Veer a smidgin too far left or right and you can wipe out the lower unit or propellor on an outboard engine in a flash. Or worse.
The bad thing about boating in low water are the unknowns. You might zip through a particular stretch of water once without a hitch, then tag a stump or other obstruction in the same spot two weeks later.
Grim as all this may sound, there is a silver lining to it all.
Those gully washers everyone is wishing for will eventually come, refilling reservoirs and recharging water tables to full capacity. Once that happens, our lakes and the piscatorial life that dwell there will undergo a rejuvenation process that fisheries scientists sometimes refer to as "the new lake effect."
To illustrate, consider what happened after Choke Canyon Reservoir in South Texas suffered through a decade-long drought in the 1990s before finally refilling in July 2002.
Huge flats and miles of shoreline that had not seen sunlight in years sprouted thick with mesquite and other native terrestrial vegetation while the lake was low. The big rise flooded all the new plant growth, which in turn displaced a wealth of rich nutrients into water and sparked a resurgence of native and non-native aquatic vegetation.
Bass and forage fish populations thrived amid the wealth of new habitat, creating much improved fishing prospects during the years that followed.
Similar boom and bust cycles have occurred on lakes Falcon, Amistad and host of Mexico impoundments, many of which are heavily relied upon for irrigation purposes.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries biologist Todd Driscoll of Jasper said he witnessed a similar rebound in habitat on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, when it refilled after reaching a record low of 13.60 feet in 1996.
The biologist says shoreline willows and buck brush provide bass with plenty of cover when water levels at or near normal, but lush hydrilla beds are the mainstay in many big water areas.
"In 2000 the grass [hydrilla] was walled up in 12 feet of water and in the best shape I have seen it since I started with the department in 1999," Driscoll said. "That was four years after the lake reached its lowest point. There are no guarantees with Mother Nature, but it is very likely we'll see something very similar happen when our lakes refill after this drought."
Sam Rayburn is currently about 8.5 feet below normal. Many shorelines and flats normally covered in water are lush with tall weeds, grass and other terrestrial vegetation. Once flooded with water, those plants will inject rich nutrients into the water and provide game fish and forage fish populations a nursery and a play ground.
Similar conditions also are in place at Toledo Bend (8.5 feet low), Fork (3.5 feet low), Nacogdoches (6.5 feet low) and a host of other impoundments. While getting around out there can be a hassle at times, the benefits to be reaped are many.
"These low water phases can make things difficult in terms of access and hurting the economy," Driscoll said. "But the positive boom phase [with the fishery] that typically results 2-3 years after a lake refills after an lengthy drought is certainly worth it. It's a give and take."
Matt Williams' email address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.
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