71.233.129.186 at 15:26, 27 September 2008

2008-09-27T15:26:45Z

71.233.129.186: New page:
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Drawdown Performance Standard
2008-09-27T15:14:46Z

New page: <a name="dfw">Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Drawdown Performance Standard</a></fo...

New page
<a name="dfw">Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Drawdown Performance Standard</a>

Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Drawdown Performance Standards for the Protection
of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Approved by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board on September
23, 2002
The Wetlands Protection Act requires that the Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife be notified of any proposed drawdown where
rare species habitat is involved. To identify areas of rare species
habitat, consult the most recent edition of the "Massachusetts Natural
Heritage Atlas" which contains maps of Estimated Habitats and Priority
Habitats of rare wildlife.
Drawdowns are commonly used as a technique to control
aquatic vegetation in many Massachusetts waterbodies. The Division
has statutory authority for regulating the take of these resources
under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 131 and Chapter 321 of the
Code of Massachusetts Regulations. Based on the Division of Fisheries
and Wildlife's knowledge and understanding of aquatic ecosystems,
the following performance standards were developed to protect fish
and wildlife resources when a lake drawdown is proposed.
For drawdowns exceeding 3 feet the Division of Fisheries
and Wildlife must be contacted directly for a site-specific review
of potential impacts to fish and wildlife resources. For drawdowns
of 3 feet or less, the proponent must either 1) contact the Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife for a site-specific review; or 2) meet
the performance standards below:
1. Drawdowns must commence after November 1st.
Drawdowns have been documented to be effective for
vegetation control in certain situations but still constitute an
artificial disturbance. Consequently, any drawdown should take place
for the minimum amount of time required to accomplish the lake-management
goal for which the drawdown is conducted. A November 1st start date
for the drawdown will allow the following conditions to be met:

<div align="left">
<ul>
<li>The pond can be drained at the appropriate rate.</li>
<li>Sufficient time will be provided for the drawdown to be effective.</li>
<li>The pond can be filled prior to the refill deadline.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Maintaining full pool elevation until this date will
also minimize the risk of in-lake and downstream fish kills caused
by temperature stress and low dissolved oxygen. Fish kills that
occur during the warm weather months are often caused by the interaction
between water temperature and oxygen depletion in shallow, heavily
vegetated lakes (Bennett, 1970). These lakes tend to have elevated
oxygen concentrations during the daytime while vegetation is photosynthesizing,
yet experience oxygen depletions at night while live plants are
respiring and large amounts of decaying organic matter create excessive
biological oxygen demand (Wetzel, 1975). Low dissolved oxygen situations
are common in numerous small, shallow lakes in Massachusetts. A
reduction of the surface water elevation under these conditions
could further exacerbate an already critical condition. Temperature-induced
fish kills can also be caused by the release of large volumes of
warm surface water into a coldwater fishery resource during summer
or early fall. One recent example occurred in Coal Mine Brook in
Worcester, resulting in a significant kill of brook trout. 
Part of the Division's management responsibilities
is to provide recreational opportunities. Initiating the drawdown
after November 1st will minimize impacts on fall recreation by maintaining
public boat ramp access and other recreational opportunities. Anglers,
seeking to take advantage of stocked trout resources, or warmwater
fish species that become more active in the fall, will launch boats
or fish from shore. Low water levels can expose boat ramps and hinder
safe boat launching. Likewise, exposed mud flats or accumulated
dying vegetation can limit access to shore fishing.
2. The drawdown must be completed (reach its lowest
elevation) by December 1st.
Amphibians, reptiles and other aquatic organisms need
to be able to move to deeper water before ice formation and substrate
freezing. Completion by December 1st will also allow aquatic mammals
to locate alternate lodge sites and for beaver to relocate food
caches before ice formation.
3. Lake refill must be achieved by April 1st.
This refill date will ensure that the resource is
impacted for the shortest time period while still allowing the drawdown
to be effective. Establishing stable pool elevations by April 1st
will provide suitable spawning habitat for littoral spawning fish
species. Also, spring traditionally signals the beginning of the
fishing season for most Massachusetts anglers pursuing both cold
and warmwater fish species. Many ponds are also scheduled for trout
stocking in the early spring. For the same reasons previously described,
access to public boat ramps (for boats and stocking trucks) and
shoreline fishing must be maintained.
4. The drawdown rate must not exceed 4 cubic feet
per second per square mile of drainage area (cfsm), as measured
at the outlet structure, or must not exceed three inches of lake
elevation change per day, whichever results in the lower downstream
flow rate. Once the drawdown level has been achieved, lake outflow
must equal lake inflow. During the lake refill period, 0.5 cfsm
must be maintained at the outflow.
A major biological concern and priority for the Division
is protecting instream flows for fish and wildlife resources. Working
in conjunction with researchers at Cornell University, the Division
is utilizing the target fish community approach to assess stream
fisheries resources and establish restoration goals in flow-stressed
streams. An important component of restoration or maintenance of
any stream fish community is the establishment of seasonal stream
flow requirements. In the absence of site-specific stream flow data,
we utilize the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Base
Flow (ABF) Policy to protect fish and wildlife resources.
The ABF Policy focuses on measuring the flows in healthy,
unregulated streams and rivers in New England to determine average
seasonal flows for the region. Seasonal recommendations, from typical
low summer flows to typical spring runoff (referred to as the natural
hydrograph) can then be applied during the appropriate time of year
in regulated resources or in instances where water withdrawal or
manipulation is proposed. The seasonal ABF recommendations are 0.5
cfsm in the summer, 1.0 cfsm in the fall/winter, and 4.0 cfsm in
the spring.
Most drawdowns are conducted during the winter for
vegetation control. This creates flow rates that will be greater
than the winter ABF recommendation during pond drawdown and less
that the winter ABF recommendation during refill. The drawdown rates
listed above, although outside the value for the winter ABF recommendation,
will maintain stream flows within the range that would be expected
in the natural hydrograph.
Providing the flows listed in the performance criteria
will prevent the stream from going dry during pond refill, minimize
downstream erosion and prevent fish stranding in the pond.
References
Bennet, G. W. 1970. Management of lakes and ponds.
Van Nostrand ReinholdCompany, New York, NY. 
Wetzel, R. G. 1975. Limnology. W. B. Saunders Company,
Philadelphia, PA. </td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-			<p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font color="#3333FF"><a name="dfw">Department of Fisheries and Wildlife<br>Drawdown Performance Standard</a></font></b></font></p>
+	<p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">'''Division of Fisheries and Wildlife'''</font></p>
+        <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">'''Drawdown Performance Standards for the Protection
-			<p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Division of Fisheries and Wildlife</font></p>
+               of Fish and Wildlife Resources'''</font></p>
-            <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Drawdown Performance Standards for the Protection
                of Fish and Wildlife Resources</font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Approved by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board on September
 , 2002</font></p>
@@ Line 40: / Line 38: @@
                  <li><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The pond can be filled prior to the refill deadline.</font></li>
                </ul>
-            </div>
+           </div></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Maintaining full pool elevation until this date will
                also minimize the risk of in-lake and downstream fish kills caused
@@ Line 125: / Line 123: @@
                Van Nostrand ReinholdCompany, New York, NY. </font></p>
              <p align="left"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wetzel, R. G. 1975. Limnology. W. B. Saunders Company,
-               Philadelphia, PA.</font></p>		  </td>
+               Philadelphia, PA.</font></p>
-        </tr>
-      </table>
-      <!-- #EndEditable --></td>

Draw-down - Revision history

71.233.129.186 at 15:26, 27 September 2008