UPDATE: HOT NEWS! 14 Nov 2011 Trout Stocking to resume in the Lower Illinois River
ODWC announced today that troutstocking will resume in Lower Illinois starting November the 16th with an extra stocking on the 18th. The normal stocking schedule will resume November 30th.
Recent rains and associated runoff have resulted in Lake Tenkiller conservation pool reaching normal levels, resetting water storage allocations for all water supply contract holders, including the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's (ODWC) donated storage from 19 October 2011 to 17 January 2012. Once again, ODWC can order releases as needed for the downstream fishery.
Also, one of the Tenkiller Dam sluice gates will be temporarily back in service tomorrow, allowing releases requested by ODWC to be discharged through the sluice gate, increasing dissolved oxygen content and enabling more refined flow amounts. Prior to the sluice gate being operable while repairs were being made, releases were being made through the hydropower turbines, which required larger than the minimum necessary quantity of water and less than optimum quality of water. One sluice gate will remain in service while final repairs are made to both sluice gates.
Be advised that this good news is only a temporary solution - The water authorization that ODWC has been granted to use to maintain the water flow for the river is on a 90-day permit and ODWC must reapply each 90 days...we can expect that this permit will be renewed in 90 days but only if there is enough water flowing into the reservoir to maintain conservation pool and refill the permitted storage authorization....Overall this announcement is very good news, but unless we continue to push for a permanent solution to maintain the water flow and water quality for Lower Illinois River, our celebrations may be short lived...let us enjoy the river for now but work diligently to ensure we have the ability to enjoy it as a year round trout fishery for years to come.