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Title: Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Evaluation Program; Limnological and Fisheries Monitoring, Annual Report 2000.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/963063· OSTI ID:963063

A slightly dryer than normal year yielded flows in Lake Roosevelt that were essentially equal to the past ten year average. Annual mean inflow and outflow were 3,160.3 m3/s and 3,063.4 m3/s respectively. Mean reservoir elevation was 387.2 m above sea level at the Grand Coulee Dam forebay. The forebay elevation was below the mean elevation for a total of 168 days. During the first half of the 2000 forebay elevation changed at a rate of 0.121 m/d and during the last half changed at a rate of 0.208 m/d. The higher rate of elevation change earlier in the year is due to the drawdown to accommodate spring runoff. Mean annual water retention time was 40 days. Annual mean total dissolved gas was 108%. Total dissolved gas was greatest at upriver locations (110% = US/Canada Border annual mean) and decreased moving toward Grand Coulee Dam (106% = Grand Coulee Dam Forebay annual mean). Total dissolved gas was greatest in May (122% reservoir wide monthly mean). Gas bubble trauma was observed in 16 fish primarily largescale suckers and was low in severity. Reservoir wide mean temperatures were greatest in August (19.5 C) and lowest in January (5.5 C). The Spokane River and Sanpoil River Arms experienced higher temperatures than the mainstem reservoir. Brief stratification was observed at the Sanpoil River shore location in July. Warm water temperatures in the Spokane Arm contributed to low dissolved oxygen concentrations in August (2.6 mg/L at 33 m). However, decomposition of summer algal biomass was likely the main cause of depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations. Otherwise, dissolved oxygen profiles were relatively uniform throughout the water column across other sampling locations. Annual mean Secchi depth throughout the reservoir was 5.7 m. Nutrient concentrations were generally low, however, annual mean total phosphorus (0.016 mg/L) was in the mesotrophic range. Annual mean total nitrogen was in the meso-oligotrophic range. Total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratios were large (31:1 annual mean) likely indicating phosphorus limitations to phytoplankton.

Research Organization:
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Portland, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
118 REL 1
OSTI ID:
963063
Report Number(s):
DOE/BP-00000118-1; TRN: US200917%%464
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English