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Changing the Clinch River into a Trout Stream
Author(s) -
Tarzwell Clarence M.
Publication year - 1939
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1938)68[228:ctcria]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - trout , fauna , rainbow trout , streams , population , fishery , ecology , biology , environmental science , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , sociology , computer network , computer science
The construction and operation of Norris Dam has changed about 20 miles of the Clinch River from a warm‐water to a cold‐water stream as the water which is released from the base of the dam usually has a temperature below 50°F. Many of the warm‐water fishes were killed by this change. It is hoped this portion of the Clinch River will develop into a trout stream. Rainbow trout were planted in 1936 and a few were taken during the 1937 season. Quantitative studies of the bottom organisms were made at four localities in this section of the river to discover changes in the warm‐water fauna and to determine whether or not a cold‐water fauna suitable as a food supply for trout was developing. These studies demonstrated that some of the warm‐water forms had disappeared so that only a small residual population was present and that the bottom fauna was not as yet typical of a trout stream. Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera and Odonata were almost lacking. Snails were abundant and constituted 97.21 per cent of the total weight of the bottom organisms found. While all the other organisms constituted 92.98 per cent of the total population they represented only 2.79 per cent of the total weight of the bottom organisms. If a cold‐water fauna does not become established in the near future it will be desirable to plant typical trout‐stream insects. It is hoped these can be obtained from the trout streams of the Smoky Mountains.