Displaying items by tag: oxygenation levels
State fisheries experts study fate of striped bass in TVA dam upgrade
Russell Roper displays a 43-inch striped bass caught at Ft. Loudoun Dam. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is considering the effects of a TVA dam upgrade at Cherokee Lake on striper populations. TWRA
TWRA assessing potential impacts to popular game fish from changes to Cherokee Dam aeration system
Matthew Cameron is a wildlife information specialist at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
JEFFERSON CITY — The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced plans to replace the current aeration system at Cherokee Dam with new turbine technology by 2026. These upgrades, designed to improve water quality downstream, may have unintended consequences for aquatic wildlife in Cherokee Reservoir — particularly striped bass. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is currently evaluating these potential impacts.
The existing oxygenation lines in Cherokee Reservoir were originally installed to meet TVA’s requirement for minimum dissolved oxygen levels in water discharged below the dam. However, an unexpected benefit of this system has been the creation of a cool, oxygen-rich refuge in the reservoir during summer months — a critical survival zone for large striped bass. These fish rely on cooler, well-oxygenated water to make it through Tennessee’s hot summers, and Cherokee Reservoir provides limited natural options.