yough river drawdown

yough river drawdown

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yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 12:01:16 PM

hoch999

Posts: 49
Joined: 7/26/2003
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just a note to all the anglers who fish the yough below connellsville, i just read in friday's tribune-review the feds just authorized the westmoerland water authouity to take 5 million more gallons per day out of the yough, if this keeps up, there won't be a yough to fish.

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 1:17:37 PM

flyfishermanPA

Posts: 595
Joined: 8/5/2008
From: Butler Pennsylvania
Status: online

That's a shame. Seems like the Yough has been getting more popular in anglers lately.. Doubt many people are going to be happy about this.

(in reply to hoch999)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 2:20:22 PM

Jetboater

Posts: 42
Joined: 7/25/2003
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That's not a lot of water. At today's dam release rate (which is about as low as it ever gets, 850 CFS), 5 M gallons per day is around 1% of the total. Or you could look at it this way - it only takes 13 minutes for 5 M gallons to come out of the dam at a rate of 850 CFS. Most of the year it will be way less than 1%. I doubt anybody will be able to notice.

(in reply to hoch999)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 2:26:00 PM

flyfishermanPA

Posts: 595
Joined: 8/5/2008
From: Butler Pennsylvania
Status: online

Really? I personally don't fish the Yough much but I have noticed how much popularity it's gained over the past years. Not to big on water numbers and the percentages it would of taken over, but I guess I jumped at 5 million gallons.. Guess not, right?

(in reply to Jetboater)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 4:33:22 PM

Jetboater

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Joined: 7/25/2003
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Yeah, it seems like a big number. The article actually says they could take up to 17 M a day.

I know folks are used to the river the way it is, but...

If you look at the flows coming into the Yough above the dam, and from the Casselman and Laurel Hill Creek below the dam, you realize the river would be about bone dry and way warmer right now without the dam. Trout wouldn't live 10 minutes, and you probably couldn't float a kayak let alone a fishing boat. Until now, they kept the outflow at just enough to dilute the pollution, and leave enough for the critters to live and the rafts to float on weekends. The main reason for the dam is to have someplace for the spring floods to be stored. Now they're able to release water just for drinking water. It probably won't have much effect overall.

(in reply to flyfishermanPA)

Post #: 5

RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 5:28:44 PM

flyfishermanPA

Posts: 595
Joined: 8/5/2008
From: Butler Pennsylvania
Status: online

Yeah but in all realness the government couldn't drain it. Knowing how many people enjoy the resources of the river (fishing, hiking, etc.) the public would really voice their opinion to the government. Maybe a solution drain some of the bass lakes? Now I don't dislike bass ponds/lakes but bass can virtually live in any water in the state of Pennsylvania, trout can't. Take some water from some bass lakes and everyone would be all right. Even if anyones mad about some water being taken out find some lake in the middle woods on a map. Like I said MOST lakes/bodies of water hold bass in fair numbers and trout simply don't.

(in reply to Jetboater)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 6:49:51 PM

bridgeman

Posts: 69
Joined: 7/3/2007
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Don't know whats up this year, the lake is only down about 6' as opposed to 10-15' by this time in previous years. I know this summer had close to normal rainfall but so were the last few.

(in reply to flyfishermanPA)

Post #: 7

RE: yough river drawdown - 8/24/2008 8:18:14 PM

Traillblazer

Posts: 29
Joined: 2/25/2008
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Water was high in Confluence today. They have begun to dump the lake. The lake is high for this time of year. They have one of the flood gates open to begin a drawdown behind the dam

(in reply to bridgeman)

Post #: 8

RE: yough river drawdown - 8/25/2008 12:00:23 AM

hoch999

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Joined: 7/26/2003
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i know most of you people have been fishing the yough for only the past tewenty to twenty five years or so, i've fished it since theearly sixtys and there's a noticable difference in the year-round water levels, at one time you could run a boat from here to west newton without any trouble at all, now there are spots where you have to get out and drag.

(in reply to Traillblazer)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/25/2008 5:48:59 PM

Traillblazer

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Joined: 2/25/2008
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its true, they began holding the lake back for boaters a few years ago. i remember as a kid both of the old boat ramps being out of the water in the lake. Going up to the Maryland end wasnt even an option unless you could run in mud.

(in reply to hoch999)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/27/2008 10:34:50 PM

GadaboutGaddus

Posts: 155
Status: offline

Is the taking of the water out of the resorvior or out of the river below the dam? Just curious!

_____________________________

May your fly rod always be bent!

(in reply to Traillblazer)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/28/2008 10:34:21 AM

D-nymph

Posts: 2125
Joined: 9/19/2001
Status: offline

Reservoir.

(in reply to GadaboutGaddus)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/28/2008 11:19:43 AM

222

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Joined: 2/21/2002
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The water plant is located just a little south of Connellsville. That is were the water will be drawn from. Not sure if they will increase dishcharge from the dam on not. I seem to remember an article in the local paper several years back that said the river level would hardly be effected by the increase.

(in reply to D-nymph)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 8/30/2008 12:49:37 AM

hoch999

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Joined: 7/26/2003
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222, you're correct about the water plant, i sent this advisory out for everyone who fishes from connellsville north to the mouth of the river

(in reply to 222)

Post #: 14

RE: yough river drawdown - 9/1/2008 1:31:48 PM

Traillblazer

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Joined: 2/25/2008
Status: offline

the lake dropped about 7 feet from last sunday. Very noticable from day to day now

(in reply to hoch999)

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RE: yough river drawdown - 9/7/2008 7:48:00 PM

Trout-n-Eye

Posts: 46
Joined: 8/4/2005
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Western Maryland, Mainly Garrett County had plenty of rain in May, June and the early part of July. Most of that watershed either feeds The Casselman River or Deep Creek Lake and Yough River which flows into Yough Dam. With plenty of water running down the Casselman that time of year they were able to keep the lake at full pool longer than usual. Actually for a while I was watching the levels and it seemed as if they were doing the opposite of most years. They were cutting it back on weekends to keep it a decent rate for river activities and dumping it during the week to keep the lake at normal levels. As far as the amount they will be taking out: currently at Connellsville there is about 28 million gallons going through per hour. That's about 670 million gallons per day going down the river. If my math is right!

(in reply to hoch999)

Post #: 16

RE: yough river drawdown - 9/21/2008 11:54:29 AM

hoch999

Posts: 49
Joined: 7/26/2003
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i know 675mgd sounds like a big number, but you have to realize that during low water/drought conditions, the water company won't cut back very much exacerbating the water levels. if this happens to coincide with a particular species spawing season, wild population fluctuions will result, possibly eliminating species from the river. we have a good thing going here and we need to defend it. westmoreland county has other rivers to draw water from. it may need a little more processing, and the cost may be a little more, but believe me, the people in westmoreland county have a higher per capita income and can afford it

(in reply to Trout-n-Eye)

Post #: 17

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