Utah is a place with wonderful and varied wilderness. Its mountainous terrain is home to many valleys, ponds and streams. They are the special favorites of recreational anglers who go to the area to go fishing. However, these areas are often salvaged by tourists and need to be restocked. Other environmental factors also play a role in reducing population.
When this happens in some areas, it’s as simple as driving a truck full of water and fish and dumping them into a lake. The problem is that many of these lakes and streams are difficult to reach on foot or by road.Believe it or not, the most practical solution found so far Putting live fish in the air. This is the process of everything.
Live goods
Usually, the fish that fall into these remote waterways are very young, about 1-3 inches long. These fish are specially raised for later use and are usually sterile, which makes it easier for the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources to manage numbers. When there is a need to replenish remote lakes, the seaplane will be filled with water and filled with fish.
Small and light fish tend to fall with water and have a very high survival rate. According to official estimates, 95-99% of fish that fall into the water will survive. Although it sounds stressful, they said it is less harmful to fish than similar road trips. Under these conditions, it is difficult for the fish to maintain good oxygen levels during long journeys.
Practice has been going on for some time (Cache). Before airdrop procedures became standard in the 1950s, fish were often loaded into old milk cans and then rode up the mountain. Depending on the area to be served, other methods are still used. Buckets can be used, or backpacks filled with water and fish can be carried by the hiking team to go deep into the wilderness. In what DWR biologist Matt McCale calls “extremely stocking fish” in Utah, all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles have been used to enter remote waters and reload them with fish.
Small general aviation aircraft are used for this purpose and are no different from aircraft used for aerial and water bombing of wildfires. These aircraft can transport 35,000 fish in a single flight, far exceeding the goal that can be easily achieved by other methods. The fish chosen for airdrop is usually the fish that anglers like, and they are also very suitable for the Utah environment. Fish raised for this purpose include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, tiger trout, mackerel and arctic trout.
Restocking as an environmental control
Controlling fish populations is the key to avoiding environmental problems in Utah’s lakes. Maintaining the happiness of native species and the health of waterways requires careful management of the regulations of the area itself and its surroundings. This year, as the summer drought rages, Utah DWR is facing special problems with high temperatures and low water levels.This is recent Increase fishing quota — Actually twice this month -Try to solve the problem. The higher the temperature of the water, the less oxygen is stored, and the low water level will exacerbate the problem. The number of fish must be reduced in order to avoid disease or mass death, which may cause greater problems for the authorities to clean up in the future.
Although Utah DWR may complete its work this summer, it is experienced and well-equipped to deal with these issues. On the surface, bombing lakes with large numbers of live fish may seem ridiculous, but the program has had more than 70 years of good results to support its effectiveness, and it does a good job. It is hoped that when the water level rises in winter, the agency can restore the water levels of these lakes and keep everything going smoothly.