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Fish Species |
| Fish species known to inhabit Webster Reservoir | |||
| Gizzard shad | Bluegill | Golden shiner | Sand shiner |
| Channel catfish | Walleye | Plains killifish | Sand roller |
| Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Flathead catfish | Wiper |
| Smallmouth bass | Black bullhead | Blue catfish | Emerald shiner |
| Black crappie | Drum | Rainbow trout | White bass |
| White crappie | Carp | Red shiner | Green sunfish |
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) also manages the fishery at Kirwin Reservoir. Kirwin has been cited as an excellent fishery for walleye, white and black crappie, white bass, channel catfish and flathead catfish though underutilized by anglers (KDWP, 1977). As with Webster Reservoir, Kirwin has a variety of native and non-native sport and forage fishes and emphasizes the management of walleye, wiper (white bass x striped bass hybrids), largemouth, and crappie (KDWP, 2000). Maintaining a pool elevation high enough to sustain the fishery is a prime concern. A formal request for a minimum pool elevation of 1702.0 was submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) by the KDWP in October 2000 for consideration as a condition in future irrigation contracts. The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has also requested a minimum pool for the reservoir, at elevation 1703.6 MSL.
| Fish species known to inhabit Kirwin Reservoir (KDWP, 1977) |
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| Gizzard shad | Drum | Sand roller |
| Channel catfish | Carp | Wiper |
| Largemouth bass | Golden shiner | Emerald shiner |
| Smallmouth bass | Plains killifish | White bass |
| Black crappie | Flathead catfish | Green sunfish |
| White crappie | Blue catfish | Fathead minnow |
| Walleye | Rainbow trout | Logperch |
| Bluegill | Red shiner | Goldfish |
| Black bullhead | Sand shinter | |
The third lake in the project is Glen Elder Reservoir, more commonly called Waconda Lake. It has a mix of native and non-native sport and forage fishes similar to that of Kirwin and Webster Reservoirs, but its location lower in the Basin and low irrigation demands have kept its pool elevations more stable. It, too, is managed by the KDWP for walleye, white white bass, channel catfish, and black bass (KDWP, 2000). No minimum pools were recommended by KDWP or the Service.
| Fish species known to inhabit Waconda Lake (KDWP, 2000) |
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| Longnose gar | White crappie | Red shiner |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Bluegill | Sand shiner |
| Gizzard shad | Walleye | Orangespotted sunfish |
| Channel catfish | Northern pike | Wiper |
| Largemouth bass | Black bullhead | Emerald shiner |
| Smallmouth bass | Drum | White bass |
| Black crappie | Carpp | Green sunfish |
| Spotted bass | River carpsucker | Bluegill |
| Sauger | Flathead catfish | |
Human intervention, by way of agriculture and species introductions, has significantly changed the river's fish populations and species composition (Service, 1979). The existing fisheries and water management practices favor non-native species and water retention in reservoirs over natives and riverine flows, as described above. The river and its tributaries do remain important as spawning habitat for economically important reservoir fishes, as a food source for wildlife along the river corridor, and as a refugia for native fishes. The fishery habitats, uniform throughout the basin, are composed of a smooth, flat channel with sand, silt, and gravel substrate and periodic pools caused by beaver dams and scouring around debris. Flows are most consistent seasonally and interannually below the dams because of seepage, irrigation return flows, and reservoir releases.
| Table of Contents | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |
| Chapter 4 | Tables | Figures | Attachments |