Evaluating the fish assemblage and fishery of Bluff Lake and integrating fishery objectives with Paddlefish and bird management objectives to evaluate water level management decisions
Bluff lake is an important impounded lake located in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR). The lake is primarily managed to achieve NNWR objectives for shore and waterbirds; however, it is also among few local systems to provide angling opportunities to nearby residents and Mississippi State University students. Anecdotally, Bluff Lake was a productive fishery that satisfied local anglers, and it is suggested that varying length limits on sportfish harvest over time improved the fishery. The NNWR Comprehensive Conservation Plan acknowledges that recreational fishing opportunities are negatively impacted by the water level manipulations used to achieve duck and wood stork habitat objectives. Additionally, water releases from Bluff Lake are necessary to facilitate the ranging behaviors of Paddlefish located in the pool below the Bluff Lake spillway. By drawing down the reservoir mid-summer, moist soils plants grow to provide duck forage and isolated pools trap fish for summering wood storks. Water releases are also used to provide passage along Oktoc Creek for Paddlefish. However, these draw-downs restrict the habitat available to fishes of angler interest and limit other recreational uses. Water management decisions compete for a dynamic yet finite amount of water annually, but little is known about the tradeoffs among these decision alternatives.
Specific research questions for this project are:
- How does the current Bluff Lake fish assemblage compare to the past fish assemblage?
- Does summer drawdown of Bluff Lake result in hypoxic or anoxic areas?
- How much water is in Bluff Lake at varying lake levels?
- What is the current angler usage, harvest, and angling objectives?
- What is the objective hierarchy of competing Bluff Lake water uses?