Some 780,000 striped bass and 480,000 hybrid bass–a total of about 1.2 million fish–were stocked in Lake Hartwell during the past three weeks by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Some 20,000 striped bass fingerlings were placed into Lake Hartwell June 3 at Green Pond Landing and Event Center in Anderson County as part of an overall S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stocking program that annually produces between nine and 12 million fish that are released into public waterways.

The striped bass fingerlings stocked into Lake Hartwell are around 1.5 to 2 inches long, and they can be expected to reach a catchable size in two to three years. The fish were produced at the Dennis Wildlife Center Fish Hatchery in Bonneau. All of the striped bass stocked in Hartwell are the Savannah River Strain, which is a genetically distinct strain that originated in the Savannah River drainage.

“The products of these hatcheries go into public waters to support sportfishing in South Carolina,” said Dan Rankin, DNR Upstate regional fisheries biologist based in Clemson. “We have species that we are able to provide fishing opportunities for in some areas of the state that would not be available were it not for the hatchery program and the fish that come out of our production facilities. For instance, in addition to stripers, we would have a very limited trout fishery in South Carolina were it not for the hatchery program.”

The DNR hatchery program includes five warmwater hatcheries around the state, and a coldwater trout hatchery located near Walhalla in the Upstate. In addition to striped and hybrid bass, the DNR’s hatchery program produces rainbow, brook, and brown trout; largemouth, white and smallmouth bass; bluegill, redear (shellcrackers) and redbreast sunfish; crappie; channel and blue catfish; and robust redhorse. Hatchery-reared fish are stocked in the state’s rivers, major impoundments and smaller DNR-managed fishing lakes. The goal is to provide South Carolina’s citizens and visitors with the best recreational fishing opportunity possible while protecting and conserving our aquatic resources.

Recreational fishing is a multi-million dollar economic driver for South Carolina. Anglers spend more than $680 million in the Palmetto State annually, according to a national survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s part of an estimated $2 billion total, spent on wildlife-related recreation in South Carolina each year.

If Mother Nature golfed, she’d be firmly atop the leaderboard at the 2016 Savannah River Basin Invitational.

Last month she continued her five-month streak of sub-par rainfall performances, but the spectators have traded their golf clap for a nervous laugh as the temperatures have begun to rise.

Russell was the only sub-basin to beat its average in May when it collected 3.7 inches (average 3.6 inches). Hartwell barely squeaked over 4 inches (average 4.5), while Thurmond finished an inch short of its average (2.7 vs. 3.7 average).

The interesting part about May’s rainfall is that the precipitation fell, just not in the usual places.

For instance, Savannah received more rain in a single day (May 29) than Thurmond did the entire month (3.3 vs. 2.7).

In addition, Savannah’s 10-inch take in May was only a half inch less than Hartwell, Russell and Thurmond combined.

If the basin’s performance following the last two very strong El Niños is any indication, we could be in for a dry summer.

In 1982-83, the sub-basins enjoyed a decent May but experienced declining precipitation throughout the summer (Hartwell, Russell and Thurmond went from 55 to 48%; 46 to 53%; and 78 to 59% of their averages, respectively, from June-August).

And although the amount of precipitation was greater for the following very strong El Niño in 1997-98, the trend was the same: From June to August, Hartwell went from 94 to 66% of its average; Russell, 111 to 60%; Thurmond, 76 to 69%. The month of July was especially dry during the ’82-83 El Niño where the sub-basins received only about 30-40% of their average.

In light of all this, is it naïve to hope the law of averages is stronger than the remnants of a few very strong El Niños?

Researchers working on the Savannah River Comprehensive Study reached another milestone recently when they completed modeling for the first four drought operation plan alternatives.

The multiagency study seeks to provide a better understanding for the impacts and risks associated with managing water resources in the basin, specifically during droughts when those resources, and thus the environment and economy, are most vulnerable.

For this segment – the second interim phase of the study – researchers are using several computer models to evaluate potential modifications to the current drought plan. They are applying data collected from the basin for the past 73 years to the models to observe the impacts of those changes, according to William Bailey, chief of planning division at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District.

By running these “what if” scenarios through the models using real data, researchers obtained a comprehensive view for the ramifications throughout the basin if certain factors are altered.

For example, alternative 2 considers the effect of redefining the elevation and outflow for Drought Level 3 at Thurmond Dam. Currently, Drought Level 3 is defined as 14 feet below summer full pool with a minimum outflow of 3,800 cubic feet per second (3,100 cfs from Nov. – Jan.). Alternative 2 identifies the impact of changing Drought Level 3 to 8 feet below summer full pool with a minimum outflow of 3,600 cfs.

Scientists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District ran historical hydrological data through a reservoir model based on this alternative. The results were then passed to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which ran the numbers through a river-based model. Finally, those results were given to South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources, which input the numbers into a harbor-based model.

Bailey said the study also considered how each alternative would impact other aspects such as fish spawning in the lakes, hydropower generation, availability of boat ramps and beaches, chloride levels for the city of Savannah’s intakes, and dissolved oxygen levels in the Savannah Harbor, to name a few.

Now after completing modeling for the first four alternatives, the team has begun incorporating the most favorable aspects from these alternatives into two additional combination alternatives. Then they will run the historical data through models to identify the effects of operating under those alternate drought plan scenarios.

When modeling for the final two combination alternatives is complete, the team will write a draft report of its findings and submit it for public comment. Bailey said he expects the draft to be complete by summer 2017.

The draft report, combined with public comments, will be evaluated against the current drought plan to determine whether it would be more favorable to modify the plan or keep the existing drought plan as is.

~ Jeremy S. Buddemeier, Corporate Communications Office COE