Incredible year

[pcuser]

I want this thread to focus on the Bishop Creek drainage. From another thread, I understand that Lake Sabrina closed the 28'th of this month. South Lake Landing is now closed for the season. These are in my memory unprecedented events. And I've been fishing up there since 1955. I think this is the driest season since then. This isn't a political issue. It's a personal issue which affects all the small businesses and visitors who go there. Any thoughts?:Sad:

[MarkyMark]

I was up there 2 weeks ago and saw Intake II, Bishop Creek & South Lake and thought to myself, wow the water is LOW...Thinking about doing another Bishop run this weekend but, hesistant to the low water conditions

MM

[seal]

But fishing has not been bad at least at Sabrina and North lake (North not affected). There has to be some unique reason or policy changes because extreme draught conditions have occurred many times in the past, this is not a historic draught that has never occurred before.

Maybe their getting us ready for the permanent closure of South Lake because of the frog closure (not trying to be too political)?

Damn pcuser your older than me, I should respect my elders more, lol.

[Viejo]

I want this thread to focus on the Bishop Creek drainage. From another thread, I understand that Lake Sabrina closed the 28'th of this month. South Lake Landing is now closed for the season. These are in my memory unprecedented events. And I've been fishing up there since 1955. I think this is the driest season since then. This isn't a political issue. It's a personal issue which affects all the small businesses and visitors who go there. Any thoughts?:Sad:

I think, depending on how you view the latest on our environment, you just might be looking at the new normal. The mountains I am very familiar with is experiencing unprecedented die off of Manzanita and Oaks because of lack of rain and snow. Entire hillsides are browning up and turning into ghost forests. Winters that gave ten to fifteen feet of accumulated snow on the ground in the high country now are lucky to see two to three feet. There is a big tree ring at the USFS center that is six fee across and is used as a demonstration of how the rings tell the story of the environment that the tree faced during it's life. There are several periods of drought that lasted several hundred years and the last one hundred fifty years have been the wettest in the tree's life.

I agree with your assessment that this change in our environment is having a negative affect on those folks who eke out a living over a very short time span each year. Pretty much sucks for those who go to enjoy it as well. Combine all that with $4+ a gallon gasoline and you have a prescription for economic disaster along the Owens Valley corridor. I don't have any answer other then I try to remember what it was like when things were "normal". My heart goes out the the folks who struggle to try keep things going when things just aren't the same.

[seal]

I found some reference to the "Chandler decree" being at least partly responsible for the low water. Tried doing a little research but looking for a short explanation (cause I don't read so good) of what it all means, looks like it has something to do with expected water delivery amounts to LA.

[pcuser]

But fishing has not been bad at least at Sabrina and North lake (North not affected). There has to be some unique reason or policy changes because extreme draught conditions have occurred many times in the past, this is not a historic draught that has never occurred before.

Maybe their getting us ready for the permanent closure of South Lake because of the frog closure (not trying to be too political)?

Damn pcuser your older than me, I should respect my elders more, lol.

I guess I'm your elder.:Wink: However, to clarify, I wasn't referring to long droughts. I was referring to the loooow water levels and the dry year we had. In fact, the last time I saw the dam at South Lake fully exposed was after the long drought in the nineties. This year is shaping up to be worse earlier. I also doubt they will close South Lake because of the frog situation... We'll see...

[pcuser]

I think, depending on how you view the latest on our environment, you just might be looking at the new normal. The mountains I am very familiar with is experiencing unprecedented die off of Manzanita and Oaks because of lack of rain and snow. Entire hillsides are browning up and turning into ghost forests. Winters that gave ten to fifteen feet of accumulated snow on the ground in the high country now are lucky to see two to three feet. There is a big tree ring at the USFS center that is six fee across and is used as a demonstration of how the rings tell the story of the environment that the tree faced during it's life. There are several periods of drought that lasted several hundred years and the last one hundred fifty years have been the wettest in the tree's life.

I agree with your assessment that this change in our environment is having a negative affect on those folks who eke out a living over a very short time span each year. Pretty much sucks for those who go to enjoy it as well. Combine all that with $4+ a gallon gasoline and you have a prescription for economic disaster along the Owens Valley corridor. I don't have any answer other then I try to remember what it was like when things were "normal". My heart goes out the the folks who struggle to try keep things going when things just aren't the same.

I agree with you about the new normal. I heard yesterday about a study showing that the western forests cannot recover from fires with such dry conditions. Not enough water early in life leads to abnormal growth for new trees. There is speculation that much of the forest will disappear to be replaced by chaparral as in lower elevation mountains. That would be a shame and depressing.

[DEVOREFLYER]

Here is the poop on Sabrina and South Lake's not any better.

http://www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com/this_week's_report/this_week's_report.html

ps: Bridgeport is not good also.

[pcuser]

here is the poop on sabrina and south lake's not any better.

http://www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com/this_week's_report/this_week's_report.html

ps: Bridgeport is not good also.

woooow!!!!

[seal]

Here is the poop on Sabrina and South Lake's not any better.

http://www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com/this_week's_report/this_week's_report.html

ps: Bridgeport is not good also.

Yea that's where I got the Chandler decree from. I was there when water was still rising and boats weren't allowed then a few weeks later it's on it's way back down.

[phishin phool]

I know South Lake was drained during fall and winter by Edison to work on dam. Without much snow it never recovered. I hope next season Edison repays Parchers like they have in the past with some good Alper plants. And i wouldn't worry too much about the sierra we have good and bad years as far as snowpack. I have been going up since 1978 and have seen both ends of the spectrum. South lake was almost full last year and was completely full in 2010 & 2011 if I remember right. Maybe Jared can chime in on this.