Pohopoco/Big Creek, Carbon CO., 8/30/2008

[steve98]

Fished the "Big Creek" today 8-30-08 7:00AM-1:00PM
Weather: 66F and Overcast
Water: A very chilly 48F running high and fast but not too off color
could still see the bottom for the most part.
Hatches: Some caddis, Some small flies, not much to report there.
After a slow start to the morning was able to hook up on several small ,I imagine stream bred browns and rainbows.
A size 14 Pheasant Tail did the trick. A larger rose to a Blue Dun type imitation size 14.
Does anyone know why the stream was running so high and cold?

Steve 98

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Steve - the Po is a tailwater stream below the dam, and the dam releases water from a bottom release gate. The lake is pretty deep at the dam, hence the cold water. The stream below the dam flows at whatever rate they want to release water at to maintain the levels in the lake.

In years past, there have been significant bacterial blooms in the lake at the swimming area - to the point of having to close the beach. It may be that they're trying to flush more than the usual flow through the dam to ensure safe swimming conditions for the end of season holiday.

TO ANY MEAT HUNTERS THAT MAY BE LURKING ON THIS SITE:

Keep what I've written in mind next time you walk out of the Po with a stringer of fish - you may just get more than you've bargained for! If they sometimes won't let people SWIM in the lake, you surely don't want to be eating any fish from the stream that is fed from it. :-o

 

[vcregular]

The high release from the Po is a directed release from the DRBC according to the Corps. Prolly directed for lo-flo augmentation on the Lower Lehigh, and the Lower D. How much longer it continues is anyones guess. Bottom line is the big rivers used for drinking water, industry and sewage treatment are in need of water to combat the dryness we are having.

 

[Mark_Griffin]

I stopped by there today to have a look and the stream looked great with some fish rising in the very cold flow. I didn't know at the time if the release was still about 250 cfs. When I got home I saw it was cut to about 150 cfs, which is a nice flyfishing flow. It's on the high end of a good FF'ing range, but very fishable. The lower flow is still coming from the flood gate at the bottom and is just as cold, about 49°.

Normal releases do not come only from the bottom. That's why we see a near perfect temp of about 58° all summer. The release temp is adjustable to whatever they want from about 48° to 68° in the summer. They can mix water from any or all of seven levels in the reservoir to get a near perfect blend of temp, oxygen, and nutrients for the max benefit of downstream aquatic life. This is the first and maybe still the only ACE dam that can do this. I hope they get back to using several levels tomorrow to get the temp back up where it should be. I may fish there tomorrow if they do.

Can you imagine if the FEW dam could get something like this tower design? It would be trout heaven in the Lehigh River.

Click the thumbs for a full size image-

 

[LehighRegular]

Hey Mark

Blue Marsh has selective withdrawal too, but is a "shallow" lake...50 feet. Not much coldwater pool to work with.

As for the Lehigh & FEW....U are so right. However, we are getting there with regard to the tower.

Keep the faith, stay involved and it will all happen. Don't expect it to happen overnight..but we will get there with angler support.

The "agencies" and "politicos" are listening and listening closely.

 

[timmyt]

anyone fish there lately or know where I can find the current flow, thinking of giving her a shot tomorrow

 

[Chaz]

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01449800

 

[timmyt]

thanks chaz

the flow seemed low so I decided to wait for a better time