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[Harold]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fish Salvaged from Sutherland Canal

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fish recently salvaged from the Sutherland Canal were stocked in other bodies of water in western Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

NGPC
Personnel from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
and Nebraska Public Power District collect
fish from the dewatered Sutherland Canal.
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Fish were salvaged Sept. 15-16 from the canal between Sutherland and Maloney reservoirs in Lincoln County. The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) has drawn Maloney down to aid in inspection of the dam. NPPD has dewatered the canal for water conservation purposes annually since 2005.

This was the third year in a row the Commission salvaged fish from the canal.

Fish were collected through the use of seines and electrofishing equipment. Electrofishing is a standard method for sampling fish populations. Fish are stunned, captured by dip net and placed in a tub of water while they recover. Commission Fisheries Division personnel were aided by NPPD personnel.

A total of 2,600 smallmouth bass were salvaged. They were stocked in Enders Reservoir (500), Fort McPherson Interstate 80 Lake (75), Sutherland Reservoir (100), and Box Butte Reservoir (1,867). Seventy were sent to the Valentine Fish Hatchery for brood stock.

"The large quantity of fish collected in the salvage allowed the Commission to satisfy stocking requests and the stocking of larger fish,” said Jared Lorensen, southwest district fisheries biologist.

Fish salvaged from the canal were stocked in the following waters, with quantity and size range indicated:

Sutherland Reservoir – walleye, 350, 6-16 inches; bluegill, 350, 4-8 inches; wiper, 130, 12-18 inches; smallmouth bass, 100, 6-15 inches; yellow perch, 15, 6-9 inches; white bass, 15, 10-12 inches

Fort McPherson Interstate 80 Lake – smallmouth bass, 75, 12-17 inches

Enders Reservoir – smallmouth bass, 500, 6-15 inches

Valentine Fish Hatchery (brood stock) – smallmouth bass, 70, 12-17 inches

Frye Lake – bluegill, 668, 3-8 inches

Box Butte Reservoir – smallmouth bass – 1,867, 6-17 inches