Watauga
Reservoir
Ecological
health rating
TVA
monitored Watauga Reservoir annually from 1991 through 1994 to establish
baseline data on the reservoir’s ecological health under a range
of weather and flow conditions. Watauga is now evaluated every other
year.
The overall ecological health score for Watauga Reservoir in 2006 was the second highest recorded to date. This was because several indicators concurrently rated at the upper end of their historic range, bottom life at the forebay scored higher than in any previous year, and sediment scored higher than in previous years at the mid-reservoir.
Watauga
Reservoir Ecological Health Ratings, 1994-2006
Click chart for raw
data.
The table below
shows the ratings for individual ecological health indicators at Watauga
in 2006. These ratings are briefly explained in the paragraphs that follow.
|
Ecological
Health Indicators for
Watauga Reservoir, 2006
|
|
Monitoring
locations
|
Dissolved
oxygen
|
Chlorophyll
|
Fish
|
Bottom
life
|
Sediment
|
| Forebay |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mid-reservoir |
|
|
|
|
|
Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen rated “high fair” at the forebay and poor at the mid-reservoir, consistent with most previous years. Dissolved oxygen levels rated good at both monitoring locations in 2004, the best rating to date at the mid-reservoir. Prior to 2004, dissolved oxygen rated fair or poor at the mid-reservoir, while ratings at the forebay have been good or “high fair.”
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll levels were within the expected range at both monitoring locations and rated good. This indicator has rated good consistently since TVA began monitoring Watauga Reservoir.
Fish
The fish community rated fair at both monitoring locations in 2006. Fish catch rate and species diversity were slightly lower than expected at both locations, with composition dominated by bluegill. Through time, the fish community has rated fair consistently at the forebay and “high fair” or good at the mid-reservoir site.
Bottom life
Bottom life rated fair at both monitoring locations. Few organisms were collected, and those present were groups tolerant of poor conditions. In previous years, bottom life has rated poor at the forebay and fair or poor at the mid-reservoir.
Sediment
Sediment quality rated good at both monitoring locations. This was the first good rating at the mid-reservoir. In past years, sediment samples collected at the mid-reservoir site contained low levels of chlordane, a pesticide previously used to control termites and crop pests.
See definitions of
ecological health indicators and monitoring locations. |
|
Fish
consumption advisories
There are no fish
consumption advisories on Watauga Reservoir. TVA collected channel
catfish and largemouth bass from the reservoir for tissue analysis
in
the autumn of 2004. All contaminant levels were either below detectable
levels or below the levels used by the state of Tennessee to issue
fish
consumption advisories. TVA will analyze fish from Watauga again in
the autumn of 2008.
Tennessee Valley Authority
