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| Conservation
Issues |
Vegetation Establishment Project
[March 19, 2003] - by Kevin Yokum, WVDNR Biologist
Never in my tenure as a fisheries biologist for the West Virginia DNR has there been such a productive working
relationship between the WV DNR and the WV BASS Federation. Working as partners, the WV DNR and the Federation
have some exciting projects in the works. These aren't just projects that look good on paper, I'm talking about
stuff that will make our waters better places to fish. Long before becoming a biologist, I was an angler with an
intense affection for fishing, so when opportunities to improve our fisheries come along, I want to capitalize
on them as much as anyone.
Many of you are aware that West Virginia's reservoirs lack significant vegetation. There are several reasons why
vegetation is so limited. Almost all of the state's reservoirs have significant drawdowns which leave vast expanses
of reservoir shorelines exposed. During winter drawdowns, West Virginia's variable climate brings freezing temperatures
and harsh conditions which aquatic vegetation cannot tolerate. Furthermore, poor soils in our reservoirs are not
conducive for growing healthy aquatic plants.
In the past, limited attempts have been made to establish vegetation on a few West Virginia reservoirs. Unfortunately,
little success was reported. However, new developments and techniques have now been cultivated and information
is now readily available from many state agencies who have conducted successful vegetation establishments. Oklahoma,
Arkansas and Texas all have been very successful at establishing vegetation. West Virginia's waters and climate
are very different from those states, but we can certainly learn from their efforts and apply pertinent information
into planning for our project. This summer, some of you got acquainted with members of the American Fisheries Society's
Reservoir committee when they came to West Virginia for a meeting. By serving on this national committee I have
gotten to know many of the members well, and these contacts give us the ability to tap into a wealth of knowledge
and experience from experts who have conducted lots of vegetation work in their respective states.
By utilizing new information and applying improved techniques, I am optimistic we can establish some degree of
vegetation in West Virginia's reservoirs. However, we will need your assistance as partners. Along the way, we
may need additional funding, voluntary labor or maybe just some encouragement, as we encounter the successes and
failures of this project.
Vegetation Benefits
Vegetation is simply another form of cover for fish to use within our reservoirs. Rocks, trees, fish attractors
and deep water all represent different forms of fish cover, and in general, more cover means healthier fish. Vegetation
is especially coveted as a cover type, because plants give off oxygen, and physically, they form dense areas which
young fish use for cover. It is our hope that bass will use the grass beds for spawning and/or for nursery areas
which will provide cover for fry. Perhaps we will never be able to enhance an entire year class of bass, but every
bit of spawning success helps. Another function of the vegetation will be to strengthen forage species reproduction.
Forage species love vegetation and readily use it for spawning. Even if the vegetation doesn't meet other objectives,
the grass beds should be awesome places to bass fish. With the limited amount of cover in most of our reservoirs,
I can't imagine that these vegetated areas won't become bass hotspots, particularly during certain times of the
year.
Where to do we start?
We want the vegetation establishment process to precede in deliberate stages. First, we are going to start
the process by establishing grass beds consisting of simple annuals. The negatives associated with using annuals
include: repeat planting each year, animals (especially deer and geese) may decimate the grass beds while the grass
is out of the water and annuals will not grow as thick as permanent aquatic vegetation. The benefits of annuals
are: annuals are relatively inexpensive, they grow in most soil types, and since annuals only live one year, they
will not become uncontrollable.
Test plots will be planted at different locations within certain reservoirs during the spring and fall. Different
combinations of seed type and water depth will be tested in order to determine an optimum combination. Weather
conditions and times when US Army Corp of Engineers reservoirs are filled will also have important roles in determining
the success of vegetation plantings on any given year.
In the fall of 2002, along with members of BASS, we planted about three acres of winter wheat in three selected
areas of Burnsville Lake. The grass has come up on all the Burnsville plots, especially in the areas that were
disked prior to seeding, but the stands are not as thick as we would have liked. Interestingly, the areas that
were disked prior to planting had the best gemination, even though many of the non-disked areas looked like better
planting sites. If new equipment becomes available in 2003, then the number of experimental plots will be expanded
to include several research plots on Sutton, several additional plots on Burnsville, some on both Tygart and East
Lynn. Winter wheat, millet, rye, rye grass and wild rice are all going to be used in the research plots. As additional
opportunities arise, more reservoirs or plant species could be added to the project.
Making it permanent
Right now, several species of perennial vegetation are being evaluated to determine which are best suited for
planting in specific state reservoirs. While reservoirs with severe drawdowns may never hold permanent vegetation,
reservoirs with the least significant drawdowns offer the best chance for success. Anytime plants are added to
our reservoirs, it is important to be cautious and to use only aquatic vegetation that is native to West Virginia.
We don't want to deal with problems caused by exotic species introductions like hydrilla and Eurasian milfoil which
have caused a lot of undesirable effects and millions of dollars worth of damage to lakes where they have grown
out of control.
Once perennial vegetative species are selected, test plots will be introduced in wire cages designed to protect
the plant colonies. Other state agencies have found that without the wire cages, carp, turtles or even terrestrial
omnivores will devour the plants. The goal is that once the aquatic plants become established, they will grow outside
the cages and propagate to a point where the plants can withstand impacts by feeding animals.
The establishment of self-sustaining aquatic vegetation will take time and ultimately, we may never reach our goals.
However, I can tell you that the WV DNR has instituted the vegetation project as an important part of our reservoir
enrichment efforts, and that we will dedicate a valiant effort to the project. Those of you who know me, understand
that I have a passion for the outdoors, particularly fishing and hunting. Having grown up in West Virginia, I am
fueled by an intensity to better our natural resources, and I feel as a biologist and an angler, that establishing
vegetation in our reservoirs would greatly benefit our state's treasured fisheries. |
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