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Title:	Seasonal and spatial distribution of zooplankton in a flood control reservoir and tailwater
Authors:	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. East Central Reservoir Investigations. Western Kentucky University. Department of Biology. Environmental and Water Quality Operational Studies (U.S.) Novotny, Jerry F. Hoyt, Robert D.
Keywords:	Aquatic environment Aquatic ecology Barren River Lake Kentucky Reservoirs Water quality Tailwater Zooplankton
Publisher:	Environmental Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Description:	Miscellaneous Paper Abstract: Zooplankton, when available, may be an important food source for fish fry in lotic habitats. The effects of flood control reservoir operation on the downstream transport of reservoir zooplankton (both microcrustaceans and rotifers) were quantified by examining zooplankton abundances in Barren River Lake, Kentucky, and three downstream stations from August 1980-August 1981. The decrease noted in microcrustacean and rotifer abundance downstream from the dam was attributed to predation, physical destruction, and lack of suitable habitat. During stratification (May-September), the abundance of zooplankton was greater in the tailwater than in the reservoir hypolimnion; this difference in abundance suggests that water and associated organisms were being withdrawn from upper levels in the reservoir -- as well as from the hypolimnion, where most of Barren River Lake's releases come from and which normally harbors few viable zooplankters. The unstratified reservoir usually contained higher densities of zooplankton than the tailwater. The results of the study led to the conclusion that implementation of operational procedures to increase discharge of reservoir zooplankton to the tailwater may not be warranted since the complexity of factors determining reservoir zooplankton dynamics precludes their use as a reliable food source for tailwater biota.
Rights:	Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/11681/3032
Appears in Collections:	Miscellaneous Paper