Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Yet another feather ... Guest Opinion: The genesis of Normal ... 'Gather' to grace Gateway Island ... Our View: Yet another feather ... Guest Opinion: The genesis of Normal ... 'Gather' to grace Gateway Island ... FISHERIES Emergency fishing closures go statewide, exempt parts of the Rogue Comment By Mark Freeman for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Mark Freeman for the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 11:19 AM By Mark Freeman for the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Social News State fishery managers today banned salmon, steelhead and trout fishing after 2 p.m. throughout most of Oregon — but exempted parts of the Rogue River — beginning Saturday to reduce the stress from catch-and-release fishing on fish under duress from low and hot stream flows. The emergency fishing closures will not take place in the upper Rogue River upstream of the Fishers Ferry boat ramp, where stream temperatures remain relatively cool thanks to supplemental water releases from Lost Creek Lake, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Also exempt is the lower Rogue Bay, where tidal influx keeps temperatures cooler than the lower main-stem Rogue, as well as the waters upstream of Lost Creek Lake. But the water in the 110 river miles between the bay and the upper Rogue are mired in temperatures overly warmed by low flows and a relentless sun during what has been the hottest Oregon summer to date. Water temperatures at Grants Pass were hitting or eclipsing 70 degrees in recent afternoons, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Temperatures at Agness 27 river miles east of Gold Beach eclipsed 80 degrees last week, but were peaking at 75 degrees on afternoons this week. The 2 p.m. fishing deadline was set because stream flows are at their warmest in the afternoons, causing the most stress on steelhead, salmon and trout caught and released by anglers. Salmon, steelhead and trout are cold-water species that can become stressed when water temperatures eclipse 65 degrees, depleting dissolved oxygen levels and at times triggering natural diseases such as columnaris that attack fish gills and can wipe out runs. Already, chinook die-offs have been documented in the lower Deschutes and upper John Day rivers, and decades-old sturgeon recently have been found dead in the Columbia River during catch-and-release season. The normal fishing day on Oregon streams starts one hour before sunrise and goes until one hour after sunset. Low summer flows were once the bane of wild salmon, particularly fall chinook salmon, in the middle Rogue during midsummer months. But Lost Creek Lake releases buoy Rogue flows enough to curb some spikes in water temperature. Flows today out of Lost Creek Lake were 1,517 cubic feet per second, while the natural river flow into the reservoir was just 871 cfs this morning. Other streams across Oregon augmented by reservoir flows also were exempt from the 2 p.m. closure. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or m [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Mark Freeman for the Tidings Posted Jul. 16, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501