Fishing and Boating Ban

[KahrMan]

.but not for bowhunters................which crossbow hunters are not...........

 

Dude, that is an ignorant statement.  People who hunt with crossbows are bow hunters.  They may not use the kind of bow you approve of but none the less they are bow hunters.  If you want to debate the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of bows then fine but why don't you keep your elitist attitude to yourself.  

 

Oh and welcome to TGO.

[Guest Fruit jar]

I like the freedom of bow hunting. The crossbow has given me that. 25# compound or long bow is all I can pull after this left arm injury.

[Bad Habit]

Having been aquanted with one or two TVA employees the idiotic descions they make do not surprise me.

[221 Fireball]

Kentucky's Dept of Fish & Wildlife does a great job on management and the protection of their constituents. They have posted this statement in defense of the dam spillway closures on their part of the Cumberland River. I hope our state agency will fight the battle as well. Tennesseans have fished the tail waters of our dams on the Cumberland for 30-40 years, depending on which dam you want to talk about. It's a fishing heritage that I hoped would be passed down to my grandkids. Those who fish the spillways know its one of the best fisheries to be had with such a large abundance of all species. It is a part of our resource, which its fishery management is funded by our licenses we buy. Please read Ky's statement below, I know its a bit long, but points out some real economic facts and more importantly, take note of where most fish per acre are caught.

 

 

Position Statement Regarding Boat Restrictions at Corps Dams

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

The US Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, is preparing to release plans to restrict boating access above and below their dams to maximize safety associated with hazardous waters. These restrictions are based on a

 

1996 policy established in ER 1130-2-520, Project Operations-Navigation and Dredging Operations and Maintenance Policies. Restricted areas are to be based on hydraulic criteria and site-specific operational considerations. The Nashville District has four impoundments in Kentucky including Martins Fork, Laurel River, Barkley, and Cumberland lakes. The above dam restricted areas will not significantly impact most boating activity; however, the below dam restriction will significantly impact boaters (anglers) below Lake Cumberland and Barkley Lake. The other two lakes do not have adequate streams that support boat access. Most other impoundments in the Nashville District are in Tennessee.

Areas below dams (tailwaters) provide a concentration of fish due to the physical barrier, flow and oxygen conditions, and the concentration of forage fish for major predators and these conditions attract boat anglers. Anglers have been accustomed to fishing these areas since 1953 at Lake Cumberland and 1966 at Barkley Lake. Data from Barkley Lake in 2000 reveal the importance of these tailwaters when there were 562 fishing trips per acre immediately below the dam compared to 4 fishing trips per acre above the dam. Over 60% of these fishing trips were made by boat anglers. Similarly the fish harvest in tailwaters was 2,655 fish per acre compared to 9 fish per acre in the lake. The economic value for the Barkley Lake tailwater fishery is over $3M. Site specific data is not available on Lake Cumberland tailwaters but anecdotally this is highest fishing pressure area and supports the highest catch rate and harvest for this entire 75 miles of trout stream. The proposed unofficial restricted zone below both Barkley Lake and Lake Cumberland are unnecessarily restrictive. They are based on bank full conditions with all major gates open-a true flood stage at either location. These are extreme conditions when it is definitely unsafe to be in this section and

probably the entire river below the dam. Very calm and safe water will have restricted access for significant portions of the year including the major recreational season. We agree with the Corps there are significant safety considerations below any dam due to the periodic turbulent conditions and reverse currents that are created. Presently there are warning signs and a requirement to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) in this zone. The Department promulgated a state regulation in 2011 to provide our Conservation Officers the authority to enforce the Corps PFD requirement. The Department is opposed to the proposed restrictive zones for the following reasons:

Both areas support major recreational fisheries that will be negatively impacted.

The hydraulic line standard only applies at flood stage and is not applicable during other major times of the year.

The Lake Cumberland hydraulic standard is definitely excessive since gates have only been opened during rare events since the dam was constructed except during the current dam repair era.

The policy is being implemented without public input.

The policy is 17 years old and has not been implemented.

The policy contains language that allows some flexibility, i.e ..boundaries shall

 

ordinarily be established based on high flow conditions…

The proposed buoy line to delineate the zone will be cost excessive and has not been budgeted.

Other alternatives are available including warning lights to designate a restricted zone when gates have been opened. Both our Department and Tennessee Wildlife Resources in Tennessee have agreed to provide enforcement if a less restrictive methodology is utilized.

The Corps can maximize safety and minimize legal liability by using other alternatives.