Kansas Fishing News
This year’s drought is making fishing difficult and boating hazardous on Kansas reservoirs. The Kansas Division of Water Resources is providing valuable reports on conditions at popular waters.
"It's so bad in western parts of the state that the U.S. Geological Survey is saying that we have less water flowing than in the 1930s even though we have had more rainfall," says Steve Adams, natural resources coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "The state Division of Water Resources tells us that we have the lowest volume of water in some Kansas streams since records have been kept. What rainfall we've had just can't keep up with evaporation rates."
PRATT -- Controlling the spread of non-native wildlife and plants in Kansas depends on the assistance of the state’s citizens. Precautions taken by anglers and boaters, for example, help prevent the spread of troublesome aquatic species such as zebra mussels and white perch.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is considering regulatory changes aimed at enhancing efforts to control the spread of aquatic nuisance species (ANS). One proposed strategy involves limiting the use of nuisance species sometimes used for fish bait. Fishing regulation changes have been discussed in a series of public meetings conducted around the state earlier this year, as well as in meetings of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission . The changes will be discussed again in public meetings of the commission in August and October.
Low oxygen content in water can be a prescription for disaster
Everyone who has a recreational farm pond enjoys the opportunity to step outside and catch fish. However, nothing can be more disheartening than to carefully nurture a pond only to discover a fish kill on a hot summer morning. The July/August 2006 issue of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine features an article by Pratt Fish Hatchery manager Mark Kumberg addressing this issue.
To prevent fish kills, a pond or lake must have one element to support fish and other higher organisms -- oxygen. Oxygen depletion is the most common cause of fish kills, and low oxygen occurs most often during periods of calm, cloudy, hot weather.Most dissolved oxygen in water comes from the atmosphere on windy days and as a byproduct of aquatic plant photosynthesis. Less sunlight penetrates deeper water, reducing deeper water vegetation, thus reducing oxygen content at deeper strata.
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