Water Temps On The Rise

[jpinkster]

Check out this article from CBC this morning:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sibbald-lake-dead-trout-kananaskis-1.3621478

 

This really needs to be a wake up call for all of us. Water temperatures are already higher than normal for this time of year. If you're going out in the heat keep those fish wet and play em quickly.

[BigFoamy]

100 of fish dying off in K lake front page this AM. Think pits due to the rapid rise in water temp!!

[SilverDoctor]

CBC new here if you haven't read it as yet. There are a number of summer camps in the area. Hope the smell doesn't bring in too may big predators

 

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Hundreds of dead fish are rotting on the shore of a lake in Kananaskis Country, after low water levels combined with above average temperatures dealt a fatal blow to the lake's trout population over the weekend. Sibbald Lake, which was freshly stocked with an additional 1,000 rainbow trout on Friday, was lined with fish corpses and swarming flies by Monday.

 

"It's possible that everything we put in, unfortunately, has died," said Ryan Lyster, a fish hatchery technician with the province.

"The main thing is disappointment … we raised these fish for a year," he added. Lyster says the temperature was about 16.5 degrees, oxygen levels were normal, and other conditions were favourable when they stocked the lake on Friday. But over the weekend, higher-than-average temperatures caused the already low water levels to warm to 23 C. "That's possibly the reason why we had a fish die-off over the weekend," he said, adding that Sibbald Lake's water level has also dropped in recent years as a result of low spring precipitation.

 

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Calgary Sun

Spiking temperatures and shallow waters are being blamed for a mass fish die-off in a Kananaskis lake.

On Monday, the bodies of hundreds of rainbow trout began washing up on the shore of the lake at the gateway to Kananaskis Country, just days after officials with the provincial ministry of environment and parks stocked the pond with about 1,000 fish for anglers. Ryan Lyster, a Calgary fish hatchery technician, said officials who stocked the lake on Friday tested for water temperature, PH levels and oxygen, and all those factors aligned with provincial parameters. But with the water level being lower than normal this time of year — a combination of lack of precipitation and low run off — the water temperature soared from a comfortable 16.5 C Friday to a scorching 23 C by Monday.

 

“With all that heat, they likely heated up very quickly and that probably substantially resulted in the fish die-off,” Lyster said.

“We haven’t had any problems with that lake before now.” On Wednesday, officials removed the rotting corpses of 500 dead fish from the banks of Sibbald Lake, though Lyster acknowledges there’s likely many more still below the water that haven’t washed ashore.

Calgary’s Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery produces about 1.2 million fish (primarily trout) every year to stock Alberta lakes, with more the 2 million bred across the province.

 

Lyster said while it’s uncommon to see mass fish die-offs, it does happen, particularly in balmier regions of southern Alberta.

“It’s not super frequent, but it does happen from time to time,” he said. “We raise fish for people to enjoy with their families so it’s unfortunate when something like this happens.” As for any impact on the surrounding ecosystem, Lyster said it will likely make no difference as the fish are introduced into the environment as stock for anglers.

Meanwhile, Lyster added officials won’t re-stock Sibbald Lake until the province ensures it’s safe to introduce more fish.

[Muffin]

I know I sure was happy to see the water level was higher this morning going over the bridges.

 

Pretty sad to see all those fish dying like that, thanks for posting guys.

[Conor]

This is 'a lake in K country' (Sibald), correct? Not K Lakes. If K Lakes is 23c in early June the apocalypse is coming.

[bcubed]

Right. They probably should have had a little more anticipation of the weather and amount of water in there before they stocked it, but I'm sure the plans were in place for months and no way was anything going to change the release date

[monger]

Very surprised they didn't stock in April like many other spots. Maybe worried about fish all going to freezers before June. It is a dry, warm year. There will be more stressed fish

[trailhead]

Seen lots of fish kills in that lake in the summer months over the years. Apparently the stocking crew took water temps prior to the release and it was all in line.