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Float Trips, Dams, and Tailwater Trout

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Float Trips, Dams, and Tailwater Trout FLOAT TRIPS, DAMS, AND TAILWATER TROUT: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS, 1870-2004 By JOEL WILLIAM HELMER Bachelor of Arts Concordia University Seward, Nebraska 1992 Master of Arts University of Akron Akron, Ohio 1994 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY July, 2005 FLOAT TRIPS, DAMS, AND TAILWATER TROUT: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS, 1870-2004 Dissertation Approved: Dr. Dale R. Lightfoot Thesis Adviser Dr. Brad A. Bays Dr. Michael F. Logan Dr. Thomas A. Wikle A. Gordon Emslie Dean of the Graduate College ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my committee members. My advisor Dr. Dale Lightfoot provided continuous guidance and trust, not only on this project but also in all my work in the department. Thanks go to Dr. Brad Bays for initially suggesting I pursue this research topic for my dissertation and for supplying continued encouragement. I thank Dr. Michael Logan for introducing me to environmental history and for encouraging me to pursue my particular interests within the field. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Thomas Wikle for treating me as a colleague, teaching me how to acquire and manage grants, and serving as an exceptional academic role model. I am also thankful to the biologists and support staff at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Trout Program office, especially the assistance of Darrel Bowman. I also want to thank the Southern Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers for their financial support, especially the assistance of Robert Tabbert and Sheryl Knight. Appreciation also goes to Judy Boston and the membership of the Mid-South Fly Fishers who also provided much needed financial support. Finally, I want to thank my children; William, Harrison, and Hannah, who always welcomed me home with hugs, kisses, and smiles regardless of my mood. I especially want to thank my wife Holly for taking such wonderful care of our children while unfailingly providing the support, love, and encouragement I needed during the past five years. Thanks Holly! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INRODUCTION TO THE STUDY.................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................6 Research Questions..................................................................................................7 Significance of the Study.........................................................................................8 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE...............................................................................13 Tailwater Trout Fisheries.......................................................................................13 Pacific Salmon Fisheries........................................................................................17 Historical Significance of Angling ........................................................................23 III. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................29 IV. FLOAT TRIPS, SMALLMOUTH BASS, AND CONTROLING THE RIVER: 1870-1943 ....................................................................................................................34 Float Trips: Genesis of a Sport Fishing Tradition .................................................35 Control the River....................................................................................................47 V. THE TROUT EXPERIMENT: 1944-1969...................................................................56 Tailwater Trout ......................................................................................................57 Fishing for Tailwater Trout....................................................................................80 Water for Trout ......................................................................................................95 VI. PUT-AND-TAKE TO NATURAL BROWNS: 1970-1989......................................110 Fly-fishing and Wild Trout ..................................................................................111 Rainbow Farming and Diversifying the Fishery..................................................125 Instream Flow ......................................................................................................140 VII. A WORLD CLASS FISHERY: 1990-2004.............................................................157 A Trout Fishing Place ..........................................................................................158 Something for Everyone: Managing a World Class Fishery ...............................173 iv Chapter Page Dissolved Oxygen and Minimum Flows .............................................................189 VIII. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................... 225 Findings...............................................................................................................232 Additional Research............................................................................................234 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................236 APPENDIX......................................................................................................................251 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Study Area .......................................................................................................................5 2. White River basin and Ozarks .......................................................................................35 3. White River johnboats stacked along the Norfork tailwater..........................................44 4. Norfork Dam and tailwater ............................................................................................58 5. Summer thermal stratification in Norfork Lake.............................................................59 6. Bull Shoals Dam and tailwater ......................................................................................64 7. Trout raceways at Norfork National Fish Hatchery.......................................................71 8. Greers Ferry Dam and tailwater.....................................................................................74 9. White River basin tailwater trout fisheries ....................................................................76 10. Norfork tailwater during no hydropower generation...................................................84 11. Norfork tailwater with both generators on-line ...........................................................84 12. White River johnboats on the Norfork tailwater..........................................................89 13. Rainbow trout caught during the late 1950s or early 1960s ........................................94 14. Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, Mountain Home, Arkansas ..................................................123 15. Billboard near the Norfork tailwater..........................................................................125 16. Spring River State Fish Hatchery near Mammoth Spring, Arkansas ........................130 17. Anglers herding trout with johnboats ........................................................................136 18. A brown trout caught while herding ..........................................................................137 19. Southern tailwater trout fisheries and federal trout hatcheries ..................................160 vi 20. SCFF Clubs and annual conclave .............................................................................163 21. Howard Collins and his world record brown trout ...................................................166 22. Fly-fisher and bait-fisher on the Greers Ferry tailwater. ..........................................168 23. Gaston's White River Resort billboard. ....................................................................171 24. Cotter, Arkansas' water tower...................................................................................173 25. Special regulation area sign near Bull Shoals tailwater............................................179 26. Brown trout spawning area on Bull Shoals tailwater................................................182 27. Bull Shoals tailwater map showing Catch-and-Release Areas.................................184 28. Trout permit sales 1982-2001. ..................................................................................189 29. Identified minimum flows at each White River basin dam. .....................................214 30. Bull Shoals tailwater directly below Bull Shoals Dam during water release of approximately 350 c.f.s.............................................................................................215 31. Bull Shoals tailwater directly below Bull Shoals dam during water release of approximately 800 c.f.s.............................................................................................215 32. Water storage reallocation from flood control pool..................................................221 33. Water storage reallocation from conservation pool..................................................221
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