Fisheries

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    Fisheries

    Water quality management in fisheries is of vital importance. Aquatic organisms remain in the water for most, if not all, of their life. For this reason, water quality parameters in fisheries are more strict than many of the other beneficial uses.

    Aquatic ecosystems have many different considerations for their many biological properties. Click the links below to learn about water quality needs and concerns for zooplankton, algaemacroinvertebrates, and fish.

     

    COLD WATER FISHERIES

    • Temperatures should typically be below 20° C (60° F) and down to around 10° C (50° F).
    • Includes many of Utah’s native Trout. Fish that thrive in cold water rely on ample amounts of oxygen. Water's flyfishingcapacity to hold oxygen diminishes as water temperature goes up. You can learn more about dissolved oxygen here.
    • Metals are also a concern in cold water fisheries. Metals can be toxic to many species of fish. They absorb these through their gills, skin, and other pathways. The solubility of many of these metals is also dependent on the pH of water. For instance, ammonia is not toxic in acidic water, but becomes toxic as pH level is increased. Many metals bioaccumulate and biomagnify, meaning their concentrations increase with each step up the food chain.
    • Turbidity is also a concern for fisheries for various reasons. First, it affects the ability of light to penetrate, which in turn affects plant growth. Second, sediment from increased turbidity can impede aquatic organisms' ability to reproduce and live due to the "filling in" of vital habitat.

     

    Spotted Bass - Warm Water FishWARM WATER FISHERIES

    Warm water fisheries have many of the same concerns that cold water fisheries do, but fish that live in warm waters have lower dissolved oxygen requirements. Warm water fisheries includes many game fish, such as large and smallmouth bass, stripped bass, crappie, bluegill, and walleye.

    Temperatures should be around 27° to 32° C (80° to 90° F).