Fish at W.R. Holway Lake Get Home Makeover

Salina, OK. — The water level is down right now, but things are looking up for the residents of the Grand River Dam Authority’s W.R. Holway Reservoir. There is a boom in new fish housing projects. GRDA's goal is to increase habitat to improve the fishery of the lake.
Several acres of the reservoir are exposed, revealing potential locations for enhancing the fish habitat. The GRDA Ecosystems Department is taking advantage of the accessibility to these areas and is building new fish shelters to help protect the small fry.
"We’ve constructed several different types of structures to help enhance the fishery; 2 artificial and 1 natural," said Darrell Townsend, GRDA Director of Ecosystem Management. "Our goal is to take advantage of this opportunity and determine the specific species and sizes of fish that utilize these structures. We hope to apply what we learn from this study to our other lakes as well. "
Some of the shelters are made of recycled wood pallets, which were once used at the GRDA Coal-Fired Complex. Wired together in a tent shape, these structures will provide much needed shelter for young fish when the reservoir returns to normal. They also built several out of plastic buckets with plastic pipes cemented in them. They may resemble a pack of big spiders, but hopefully, underwater they will look like plants to the fish.
"We already have trophy size bass--the state record was caught here last spring," said Brent Davis, GRDA's Fishery Coordinator, "but we don't have as many smaller fish as we'd like." He explained, "We have a limited spawn because of the fluctuation of the water, and since there is limited habitat [in the reservoir], we lose even more of the fry. So by adding places for the fry to hide, we hope more of them will make it to maturity."
Along with the manufactured structures, fallen trees and brush piles were also placed around the reservoir. The Chimney Rock road and parking area on the south side of the reservoir are also being widened and cleaned up to allow better access to the far side of the water.
"We really appreciate the help and feedback that we've been getting from the local fishermen," said Davis. "They are excited about our efforts. This is just part of GRDA's plan to make the fisheries better and more productive in our lakes."
State record holder Karl R. Council reeled in the state's biggest smallmouth bass out of Holway Reservoir on March 29, 2005. His trophy weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. measuring 22 1/2 inches with a girth of 17.32 in.
GRDA began lowering the reservoir (commonly known as the "Pumpback") in early October so repairs to the concrete canal and earthen dike could be made at the request of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The work required the water level to be dropped approximately 35 feet. The reservoir is scheduled to return to normal water levels in late January when work is completed.
The W.R. Holway Reservoir in Chimney Rock Hollow is a pristine reservoir created in the late 1960s by GRDA as part of the Salina Pumped Storage Project. To ensure a relaxing fishing experience, boats with internal-combustion engines are not allowed on the reservoir. The pumpback is unique because it's water level fluctuates so much. During the hot part of the day (high energy usage) the six reversible pump/turbine units are used to generate electricity which lowers the water level as much as 15 feet. At night, the six 64,000-horsepower units are used to pump the water back up the hill into the reservoir. It is also one of the deepest lakes in the state, reaching depths of 180+ feet.
...from Tana Poppino, GRDA