Comments on: Trout fishing on Lower Illinois River may cease

By: edgodfrey

edgodfrey — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:34:26 +0000

Oklahoma Water Resources Board should have that list

By: john ehrhart

john ehrhart — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:34:34 +0000

I too am interested in Tenkiller lake water use. What agencies, companies, municipalites, etc., are “contracted” to use the water, and where is that list found?

By: Steve McMahan

Steve McMahan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:15:27 +0000

The biggest problem that I see from this situation is there doesn’t seem to be a large outpouring of outrage over this issue. Public information has been sketchy, at best. Unless you are a die-hard fisherman or outdoors enthusiast who makes frequent use of the lower Illinois River, you’re probably unaware that any problems exist.
However, if you listen to the folks managing Marval Resort or other businesses in and around Gore, Oklahoma, you will hear plenty. More public information is needed in the larger, urban areas in order to generate the attention this story deserves. I had to search the web to find a few outdated articles about the Tenkiller water issue. This was only because I had been aware of the problem, and wanted as much information as available.
Please try to elevate this story and provide timely updates when at all possible. The recreational user, fisherman, and most importantly, the local economy depend on it.

Steve McMahan
Newalla, OK

By: Bill Richards

Bill Richards — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:18:48 +0000

Ultimately the Federal Government is the governing body over the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller as well as the Cherokee Nation having some rights? I’m a prejudiced fly fisherman that has enjoyed catching (and releasing) a bunch of rainbows and a few stocker browns in the lower Illinois over the past three or four years. Rainbows have been stocked since the 70′s I believe. The economy of Grove has behefitted from that, the state has benefited from the license fees and sales tax revenue from the fishing industry and has returned the benefit to the licensees (in and out of state)by purchasing and building the Watts access area and providing a stocking program that has been awesome-until the washout devastation this spring-summer.
I am a pro-business, limited government control type person, but there needs to be a heavy hand of government when those that are in control mismanage their asset to the point that fish and an industry have to go away when they overcommitted their asset for personal or business gain.
Yes, there have been many natural issues created by rain and the lack thereof through the years in the Illinois drainage basin, but that was one of the reasons for Tenkiller Dam-to manage the water asset, minimize flooding and generate electricity for the benefit of the citizens and the companies that were exploiting and investing in the production from the asset-WHILE PROTECTING AND BALANCING THE ECOLOGICAL AND RECREATIONAL ASSET THEY WERE ENTRUSTED WITH.
My suggestion is that anyone that is interested in this problem needs to contact and express their true feelings about the way the lower Illinois is being tmanaged by those that control Tenkiller Dam to their Representative in the US House and Senator Inhofe and Senator Coburn. Senators Coburn and Inhofe are both sensitive to eastern Oklahoma’s
needs as well as Representative Boren whos’s district the lower Illinois River/Tenkiller Dam are located within. Trust me, if there is a groundswell of support for something to happen and it hits the media, there will be a response-

Bill Richards
Tulsa, Oklahoma

By: Glenn McVey

Glenn McVey — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:00:33 +0000

Your Trout Unlimited clubs should correspond with the Texas Guadelupe Chapter of Trout Unlimited and maybe get some ideas from them. They have worked with a very similar problem for years and have some workable solutions’

See their website at:

http://www.grtu.org/

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:25:37 +0000

The long term cure for the LIR can only be made by a congressional act. Those interested should write their US congressman and both OK Senators. The problem here is that men are making judgements about the river… IT SHOULD NEVER BE WITHOUT ENOUGH WATER IN IT TO SUSTAIN THE FISH IN IT.

By: KerryJ89

KerryJ89 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:29:01 +0000

Ceasing trout Fishing is all for the better. Let’s hope the water supply will be sufficient until it rains.

By: donna said

donna said — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:38:06 +0000

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