Great Salt Plains Lake is dying

[Deer Slayer]

Today was a day that I have been dreading for some time now. The day was coming, it was just a matter of which day was it going to be. The 3 weirs at the dam are almost dead. The water in the top two are black and a couple of hundred fish are dead including an estimated 15 pound flathead. I anticipate the water is anaerobic or septic due to its color. The water in the bottom weir is brown and being fed by the upper two and several hundred carp are piping. Piping means that the fish are at the surface and gulping air. Time is short. They all are going to die. Several thousand carp and several hundred catfish were reportedly seen today in the lake proper dead. The lake has an estimated depth of 18 inches to 2 feet. Hot water does not retain oxygen very well.

I received a call today from a pond owner that has lost 150 pounds of LMB in his pond in the past week. He has asked for help and I have made some reccomendations and may have to install an aeration system to save his pond this weekend. I installed an emergency aeration system in a 2 acre lake yesterday before any kill could occur. More ponds are dying each day as this drought continues. These kills are occuring 30 to 45 days earlier than normal. Pray for rain

If anyone is seeing their pond or a friends pond turn bright kelly green and heavily laden with algae then the pond may be very close to having a kill. If you have electricity very close to the pond then there is hope that it may be saved. If anyone is interested then contact me by PM.

I anticipate that Great Salt Plains Lake fish kill will accelerate this week with the forecasted temps. Once the fish start to die then the first dominoe in a long chain will have been tipped and you know the outcome. It is not a pretty sight and smells worse. The only winners are the flies. Last week the catfishing dropped off dramatically and I suspected the worse was coming. It seems to be here. The only thing to stop the kill will be alot of rain and cooler temps to allow the absorption of more oxygen. Stay tuned for an update.

 

[penismightier]

That sucks to hear. I was wanting to make a trip out there in the fall.....

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Sad news indeed. I know the lake is down a lot, but I wonder what was the max depth and average depth when it was constructed.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Unfortunately, I cannot answer that at this time. I will check tomorrow and see if I can get an answer.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Unfortunately, I cannot answer that at this time. I will check tomorrow and see if I can get an answer.

Thanks.

The pond I told you about finding about dry on the 4th, will likely get cleaned out with track hoe. Its about 1.5 acres in size.

 

[Deer Slayer]

If the owner has electricity next to the pond and he is finished cleaning it out then now would be the time to install a small aeration system.

 

[Vamoose]

That's pretty depressing. One of the secret state assets for Oklahoma is the wealth of fishable small lakes and farm ponds we have.

 

[Perplexed]

Sad news indeed. I know the lake is down a lot, but I wonder what was the max depth and average depth when it was constructed.

I don't know what these parameters were at the time of the lake's construction in 1941, but according to the COE 1971 sedimentation survey, the average depth was 4.2 feet, and the maximum depth was 24.5 feet (at normal pool elevation). Certainly the lake is a lot shallower now.

 

[HMFIC]

This sucks.

It doesn't look like there is any relief in sight until at least next Monday according to the forecast. I can't remember in my life ever having this many consecutive days over 100 degrees and with no precipitation to boot.

 

[dennishoddy]

I believe I saw on TV that in 1980 we went 50 consecutive days over 100. We are just a little over half way there right now. I remember it in 80. Much worse than now. 10-15 acre lakes dried up. When it was dry, nobody dug out the ponds, and when the rain came, they put fish back in, and here we are again. I've only got one, but its been dug out, as flood water cut the dam two years ago, and the dozer operators won't get in a pond until its been dry for at least 2 years, and they prefer 3. Even sitting dry for that long, there was still about 6 feet of sloppy wet silt in the center. He managed to cut around it, and finally got down to firm earth. So, I've got a pond, but no water now. The weeds and sunflowers are about 6' high. I'll need to get over there and get that mowed, and burnt, so when it does rain, I won't have the debris on the bottom sucking the oxygen from the water.