Fisheries

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Fisheries

Protecting Habitats Beneath the Surface of Lake Tahoe

The composition of Lake Tahoe's fish community has changed considerably since the arrival of Euro-americans to the Lake Tahoe Basin. Prior to the influence of Euro-american activities, seven species of fish occurred in the lakes and streams of the Lake Tahoe Region (Murphy and Knopp 2000). Of the native fish species, Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) and the mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) were abundant and revered by Native Americans because they provided ample food for their people. Today, Lahontan cutthroat trout have been extirpated from Lake Tahoe, and the population of mountain whitefish is believed to occur in very low numbers (Murphy and Knopp 2000). Several fisheries biologists assume that several factors have contributed to the decline or extinction of native fish and the degradation of fish habitat in the Lake Tahoe Region. Extensive logging, water diversions, intense grazing, commercial harvest, road building, and the introduction of non-native fish and other aquatic organisms are believed to have cumulatively contributed to the change in Lake Tahoe's fish composition and degradation of fish habitat (SNEP 1996, Murphy and Knopp 2000). Consequently, since the Comstock Era (circa 1860), 20 additional species of fish have been introduced into Lake Tahoe's aquatic communities (TRPA 2001 Threshold Evaluation, Appendix 1).

There are two key aquatic environments that support fish in the Lake Tahoe Basin, lakes and streams. These two ecosystems are dynamic and characteristically change in space and time. Combined, attributes of lakes and streams provide necessary elements such as water, cover, and spawning and nursery habitat to support fish. Both environments play an important role in sustaining desirable fish populations and cannot be viewed independently because some fish species use both lake and stream environments to fulfill their life cycles. The combination of chemical, biological, temperature, and physical characteristics of lakes and streams influence the suitability of these environments to sustain different fish populations. Accordingly, degradation of any of these necessary lake and stream characteristics can reduce the sustainability of Tahoe's fishery.

Since 1996, limited data has been collected for assessing stream habitat conditions. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Project Review personnel have tracked water diversions and changes in points of water diversion to account for compliance with in-stream flow standards as part of TRPA permitting procedures. California Department of Fish and Game and the US Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit monitored Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) population numbers and have collaborated on the restocking of a recreational population of LCT into lakes in the Lake Tahoe Region.

Source:

Draft TRPA 2001 Threshold Evaluation
2000 Lake Tahoe Watershed Assessment, Murphy and Knopp

Indicators

F-1 Lake Habitat

Threshold: Achieve the equivalent of 5,948 total acres of excellent lake fish habitat

Indicator: Physical disturbance of rocky substrate (acres).

F-2 Stream Habitat

Threshold: Maintain 75 miles of excellent, 105 miles of good, and 38 miles of

marginal stream habitat as indicated by the Stream Habitat Quality Overlay map (1997).

Indicator: Miles of stream habitat in the various categories based on field

investigations of habitat.

F-3 In-stream Flow

Threshold: Until instream flow standards are established in the Regional Plan to

protect fisheries values, a non-degradation standard shall apply to instream flows.

Indicator: Instream flows evaluated by use of an instream beneficial use

assessment, such as the type established by Title 23, Section 670.6 of the

California Administrative Code.

Click here for more information about fisheries indicators from the TRPA 2001 Threshold Evaluation

Research

Fisheries Research

A goal of TIIMS is housing documents about the past, present and future environmental research conducted in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Scientific research conducted by organizations, agencies, and universities aims to detect, for example, habitat destruction and discover ways to monitor and ultimately eliminate environmental impacts. Ongoing research efforts collecting baseline data will help regulatory agencies establish regulations and develop limits and indicators designed to improve environmental health.

The Science Advisory Group (SAG) has prepared an Integrated Research Agenda, which will include all nine Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Environmental Thresholds. Fisheries and Wildlife Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) will be contributing to the fisheries portion of the research agenda.

TIIMS is always searching for more documents to include in this section so please contact tiims@trpa.org with possible links to other land use research.

Source:

2003 EIP Update

Documents:

Stream Flow Conditions of Lake Tahoe Streams Based on Gauged Flows and Statistically Modeled Flow Estimates: Implications for Salmonid Fish Population Management.

Upper Truckee River Biomonitoring Report 1998 - 2000 (Appendix)

Impact of Lake Trout Predation on Prey Populations in Lake Tahoe: A Bioenergetics Assessment

http://trg.ucdavis.edu/research/annual report/contents/fisheries/article13.html

Angermeier, P. L. and J. R. Karr. 1994. Biological integrity versus biological diversity as policy directives. Bioscience 44:10, 690-697. (Regulatory)

Beauchamp, D., W. Wurtsbaugh, B. Allen, P. Budy, R. Richards, and J. Reuter. 1991. Tahoe Fish Community Structure Investigations: Phase III Report. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Utah State University and Institute of Ecology, Division of Environmental Studies, U.C. Davis. (Management/Regulation)

Cordone, A.J., S.J. Nicola, P.H. Barker, and T.C. Frantz. 1971. The Kokanee Salmon in Lake Tahoe. California Fish and Game 57(1):28-43. (Management)

Elliott-Fisk et al. 1997. Lake Tahoe Case Study. Pages 217–264, In; Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project: Final Report to Congress, Status of the Sierra Nevada (Addendum). Wildland Resources Center Report No. 40. Centers for Water and Wildland Resources, University of California, Davis. (Management/Regulation/Restoration)

Fausch, K. D., J. Lyons, J. R. Karr, and P. L. Angermeier. 1990. Fish communities as indicators environmental degradation. Amer. Fish. Soc. Symp. 8:129-144. (Monitoring/Management)

Frantz, T.C. and A.J. Cordone. 1967. Observations of Deepwater Plants in Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada. Ecology 48(5): 709-714, late summer, 1967. (Restoration)

Karr, J. R. 1991. Biological integrity: a long-neglected aspect of water resources management. Ecological Application 1:1, 66-84. (Regulation/Management)

Karr, J. R. 1999. Defining and measuring river health. Freshwater Biology, 41:221-234 (Regulation/Management)

Karr, J. R. 2002. What from ecology is relevant to design and planning? Pages 133-172 in: B.R. Johnson and K. Hill. (eds.). Ecology and Design: Frameworks for Learning. Island Press, Washington, DC. (Regulation/Management/Restoration)

Karr, J. R. and E. W. Chu. 2000. Sustaining living rivers. Hydrobiologia 422/423:1-14. (Management/Regulation)

Karr, J. R. and C. O. Yoder. In Press. Biological assessment and criteria improve TMDL planning and decision making. J. of Environ. Engineering In press.(Regulation)

Miller, R.G. 1951. The Natural History of Lake Tahoe Fishes. P.h. D. Dissertation. Stanford University, Stanford, CA. (Restoration)

Morley, S. A. and J. R. Karr. Assessing and restoring the health of urban streams in the Puget Sound Basin. Conserv. Biol. 16:6, 1498-1509. (Restoration)

Moyle, P. B. 2002. Inland fishes of California. Univ. of Cal. Press, Berkeley, CA. (Restoration/Management)

Scott, E.B. 1957. The Saga of Lake Tahoe, Volume I. Sierra Tahoe Publishing Company, Crystal Bay, NV. (Restoration)

Poff, L. N., J. D. Allan, M. B. Bain, J. R. Karr, K. L. Prestegaard, B. D. Richter, R. E. Sparks, and J. C. Stromberg. 1997. The natural flow regime. Bioscience 47:11, 769-784. (Regulation/management/restration)

Sheehan, C.F. 1985. Littoral Sand and Gravel Transport at Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada. M.S. Thesis, University of Southern California. (Management/Regulation)

Tracy, J. C. and A. Rost. 2003. Stream flow conditions of Lake Tahoe streams based on gaged flows and statistically modeled flow estimates: implications for salmonid fish population management. (Regulation/Management)

TRPA. 1982a. Study report for the establishment of environmental threshold carrying capacities. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV

TRPA. 1982b. Environmental impact statement for the establishment of environmental threshold carrying capacities. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV.

TRPA. 1986. Regional plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin: goals and policies. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV.

TRPA. 1987. Regional plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin: code of ordinances, rules of procedure. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV. (Chapters 32, 71-79)

TRPA. 1991. 1991 evaluation: environmental threshold carrying capacities and the regional plan package. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV.

TRPA 1996. Draft 1996 evaluation report: environmental carrying capacities and the regional plan package for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV.

TRPA 2001. 2001 evaluation report: environmental carrying capacities and the regional plan package for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Zephyr Cove, NV.

TRPA. 2001. Environmental Improvement Program. Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

USDA, 1988. Land and resource management plan; Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region.

USDA. 2001. Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment - Final EIS, Record of Decision, R5-MB-019. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region.

USDA. 2003. Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment - Draft Supplemental EIS. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region.