Draining Piru due to mussel???

[ZipperWurm]

So i just got word that the bass club I'm a member of had to cancel both our night tournaments for June and July. Apparently starting next week Piru will be undergoing a massive draw down leaving the lake pretty much empty and unable to launch....and from what i understand they are doing it to try and eradicate the mussels.

Even though the water level is super low, the lake is still very alive and fishable with healthy bass and crappie. I've fished it a few times this year and always did well...and all of the bass looked very well fed. Saw tons of crappie still hanging around as well. I wonder whats going to happen to the healthy fish population :Rolls Eyes:

First its boat inspections, now we're actually draining lakes in hopes of getting rid of this thing???

[Stinkbait]

.....or a sneaky way to gain drinking water during the draught.

[DEVOREFLYER]

I too wonder what they are going to do with the existing fish stock.

[JS_]

I hope the fishery can handle it...it's only at 13% capacity.

http://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/california_lake_and_reservoir_water_levels.html

Getting nice solid LMB out her lately.....Going tomorrow to say good bye for a little while...Will miss her...now back to Castaic and Pyramid...Thanks for sharing....

[dhntr48]

I think its a lost cause . The ducks and birds are spreading it all over . The boaters are taking the heat for it !!

[shinbob]

I think its a lost cause . The ducks and birds are spreading it all over . The boaters are taking the heat for it !!

How many lakes in California that aren't connected to the Colorado River have quaggas in them? I believe its only Piru.

It's not the ducks. It's the boaters.

Edit -- I don't actually believe it's the fishing boats -- water leaks into bilges, not out of them, and we all typically drain our livewells when the boat is out of the water. I think it's the wakeboarders that are the vector -- their ballast tanks don't usually dry out completely, and they do fill and drain their tanks on the water. And that's how the mussels got here in the first place - ballast from shipping boats.

[shinbob]

Apparently starting next week Piru will be undergoing a massive draw down leaving the lake pretty much empty and unable to launch....and from what i understand they are doing it to try and eradicate the mussels.

It would be nice to get rid of the quaggas in Piru, but how long would it take for the fish populations in the lake to recover?

[HawgZWylde]

So i just got word that the bass club I'm a member of had to cancel both our night tournaments for June and July. Apparently starting next week Piru will be undergoing a massive draw down leaving the lake pretty much empty and unable to launch....and from what i understand they are doing it to try and eradicate the mussels.

Even though the water level is super low, the lake is still very alive and fishable with healthy bass and crappie. I've fished it a few times this year and always did well...and all of the bass looked very well fed. Saw tons of crappie still hanging around as well. I wonder whats going to happen to the healthy fish population :Rolls Eyes:

First its boat inspections, now we're actually draining lakes in hopes of getting rid of this thing???

I did some searching for info on this and was able to find a local article on it but they wanted me to subscribe to them in order to read the full article so I found this wiki article which I usually don't take as pure fact but it seems that Quagga has been found downstream in lower Piru creek which is a tributary to the Santa Clara river. I'm assuming that DFW want's to prevent it from reaching said river and is employing what is written in the last paragraph of this wiki post;


Lake Piru is an artificial lake located in Los Padres National Forest of Ventura County, California, created by the construction in 1955 of the Santa Felicia Dam on Piru Creek which is a tributary of the Santa Clara River. The Lake Piru Recreation Area, along the western shore, has about 60 acres (24 ha) with various recreational facilities for camping, boating, fishing, swimming and picnicking.[1] The 238 campsites have water and electric hookup along with a snack bar. There are 66 boat slips with a full-service marina.[2] The lake is situated downstream from Pyramid Lake and can be accessed from Piru Canyon Road near the town of Piru, California.

The elevation of the lake is 1,043 ft (318 m), and the elevation of the dam spillway is 1,055 ft (322 m).[3] The dam is owned and operated by the United Water Conservation District of Santa Paula, California.[4][5] The district is a multi service district providing flood control, recreation services, surface and groundwater conservation, groundwater replenishment, and wholesale water for agriculture and urban uses to the Santa Clara River Valley and Oxnard Plain. Formed on December 5, 1950 under the Water Conservation Act of 1931,[6] it owns approximately 2,200-acre around and including the lake and dam (890 ha).[2]

Quagga mussels became established in the Lake Piru and then downstream in the Lower Piru Creek in 2013. While this was the first discovery in Ventura County, they are an invasive species found in various rivers and lakes in the U.S.[7][8] As of 2014, the district will be exploring options using a technical panel consisting of state Fish and Wildlife staff as well as representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service and other federal, state and local agencies. The district has to develop plans to deal with further colonization.[9] The Casitas Municipal Water District that manages nearby Lake Casitas suggested that the reservoir be drained. Poisoning it with a potassium solution was also considered.[10]

Sucks, I wonder if they will indeed try to relocate as much of it's fish population as it can, or if it gets sacrificed to Quagga eradication...

[JS_]

Just came back from Piru. They just started dropping her and some boats were unable to launch. Barely able to launch BB in about 1.5-2 ft feet at the launch ramp. Used the electric motor to get out having to hold the electric motor half way into the water and splashed our way to deeper H20. Fishing was fairly good, especially in the back end where the creek flows (not now) in...No water coming in from Pyramid (Piru Creek). They must have lowered Pyramid a bit to drain her more quickly. Fish from 2 + 4 lbs...typical Piru...:Cool:

The girls at the Piru enterance (gate) did not seem to know too much, but that she is being drained...How far are they going to drain her, anyone know? No more boat launching after today, from what I was told.46358463594636046361

[ZipperWurm]

Just came back from Piru. They just started dropping her and some boats were unable to launch. Barely able to launch BB in about 1.5-2 ft feet at the launch ramp. Used the electric motor to get out having to hold the electric motor half way into the water and splashed our way to deeper H20. Fishing was fairly good, especially in the back end where the creek flows (not now) in...No water coming in from Pyramid (Piru Creek). They must have lowered Pyramid a bit to drain her more quickly. Fish from 2 + 4 lbs...typical Piru...:Cool:

The girls at the Piru enterance (gate) did not seem to know too much, but that she is being drained...How far are they going to drain her, anyone know? No more boat launching after today, from what I was told.46358463594636046361

Thanks for the report....I wish I would have been able to get out there and say my farewells to some of those chunky bass :Bawling:

[muskyman]

Sad. I miss those crappie. Sorry guys

[crappiemike]

I can't see them draining the
Whole lake,,, I'll talk to Kurt
Up there and see what's going
on......



Cm

[TroutOnly]

piru is a rain water lake if we don't get rain the lake gets low and stays low ,the water is for the ag and water wells below the lake the same happens every year its just worse now because of the drought..............

[chompot]

I think draining the lake to rid the quaggas is just ridiculous. I have to somewhat agree with TO... might be more drought related than anything.

[sky]

delete info outdated

[shinbob]

I think draining the lake to rid the quaggas is just ridiculous. I have to somewhat agree with TO... might be more drought related than anything.

Perhaps they're thinking that since the lake is down 87% due to the drought (as someone here mentioned), and that will only get worse as the summer/fall progresses, might as well go all the way and get rid of the quaggas at the same time? Pure conjecture on my part, it would be interesting to hear the official story, though.

And what about piru creek? I'm sure they can't dewater it completely, seems like that would violate all kinds of regulations and such.

[HawgZWylde]

I posted earlier in the thread a wiki article that said what was being considered and that there was a local article about it but in order to read the article in its entirety you had to subscribe, which I chose not to. Here is the link to that article if someone wants to subscribe and read it;

http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/county-news/poison-lake-piru-option-on-table-to-kill-quagga-mussels_21372209

It does sound like they are proceeding with draining the lake. As for the lower portion of Piru creek, I'll bet they make a temporary exemption from the current mandates and regs to eliminate the invasive mussel...

[shinbob]

I posted earlier in the thread a wiki article that said what was being considered and that there was a local article about it but in order to read the article in its entirety you had to subscribe, which I chose not to. Here is the link to that article if someone wants to subscribe and read it;

http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/county-news/poison-lake-piru-option-on-table-to-kill-quagga-mussels_21372209



Here's a crappy screencapture of the first page of that article:

http://i.imgur.com/kP1YuQY.jpg

[HawgZWylde]

Here's a crappy screencapture of the first page of that article:

http://i.imgur.com/kP1YuQY.jpg

The writings on the wall. Sad for the fish...

[DarkShadow]

Sad for the fish...

Are they going to kill them (instead of transplanting them elsewhere?) because they think the fish may spread the quagga mussel?

I'm confused on why the fish need to be killed.

[HawgZWylde]

Are they going to kill them (instead of transplanting them elsewhere?) because they think the fish may spread the quagga mussel?

I'm confused on why the fish need to be killed.

Beats me. Perhaps the cost of transplanting them is prohibitive, to them. I don't know if fish can carry Quagga but since their hatch is microscopic, I don't see why not...