Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, KansasMinckley, W. L.
Science
Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas
Minckley, W. L.
Fishes -- Kansas
The Big Blue River in northeastern Kansas will soon be impounded by
the Tuttle Creek Dam, located about five miles north of Manhattan,
Kansas. Since the inception of this project by the U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers much argument has arisen as to the values of the dam and
reservoir as opposed to the values of farmland and cultural
establishments to be inundated (Schoewe, 1953; Monfort, 1956; and Van
Orman, 1956). Also, there has been some concern about the possible
effects of impoundment on the fish-resources of the area, which
supports "a catfish fishery that is notable throughout most of the
State of Kansas and in some neighboring states (U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1953:9)." The objectives of my study, conducted from
March 30, 1957, to August 9, 1958, were to record the species of fish
present and their relative abundance in the stream system, and to
obtain a measure of angler success prior to closure of the dam. These
data may be used as a basis for future studies on the fish and fishing
in the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank Messrs. J. E. Deacon, D. A. Distler, Wallace Ferrel, D. L.
Hoyt, F. E. Maendele, C. O. Minckley, B. C. Nelson, and J. C. Tash for
assistance in the field and for valuable suggestions. Dr. J. B. Elder,
Kansas State College, arranged for loan of specimens, and Mr. B. C.
Nelson supplied data on _Notropis deliciosus_ (Girard) in Kansas, and
on specimens in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
I thank the many landowners who allowed me access to streams in the
Big Blue River Basin. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City
District, also allowed access in the reservoir area, and furnished
information and some photographs. Mr. J. C. Tash did chemical
determinations on my water samples.
Dr. Frank B. Cross guided me in this study and in preparation of this
report. Drs. E. Raymond Hall and K. B. Armitage offered valuable
suggestions on the manuscript. Equipment and funds for my study were
furnished by the State Biological Survey of Kansas, and the Kansas
Forestry, Fish and Game Commission granted necessary permits.
TUTTLE CREEK DAM AND RESERVOIR
The data on Tuttle Creek Dam and Reservoir that follow were furnished
by Mr. Donald D. Poole, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City
District. The dam, an earth-fill structure, will be 7,500 feet in
length, with a maximum height of 157 feet above the valley floor.
Release of water will be from beneath the west end of the dam, through
two tunnels 20 feet in diameter that have a capacity of 45,000 cubic
feet per second; however, releases exceeding 25,000 c. f. s. are not
planned. The gated spillway is located at the east end of the dam.
Freeboard will be 23 feet at the top of flood-control pool.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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