Biologist Report July 21, 2022
July 30, 2022
Greetings, Lake Vilbig Residents!
This letter is to talk about our July 2022 management efforts. I came out once in July on the 21st. July may have been worse than June. Almost every day was in the 100s. Zero measurable rain. That makes for a miserable summer; there is no end in sight, and it shows in the lake.
On the 21st, the weather was hot. I got there a little before noon, and it was already 95F. This is normal. Average of 86 F. Some spots were a little cooler, and some were a little warmer. Hopefully, water temperatures have peaked for the summer, but I make no promises.
There are thermoclines all over Lake Vilbig, which are areas of temperature change. They can appear random. However, there are several springs throughout the lake; spring water is generally cooler than surface water. It does help to keep the overall lake temps stable. So that’s a good thing. The water level was also down considerably.
In my years of caring for Lake Vilbig, I can only remember one other time the lake was this low. Considering there is little to no chance of rain, I only anticipate it getting worse. Visibility was around 15 inches. Water is still green with lots of plankton growing. This is helping shade out the more profound areas helping maintain our vegetation load. I like this color, especially for newly hatched fish and all shad species. pH was still high. 8.5.Alkalinity was stable at 140 ppm. I couldn’t find any vegetation growing. This is a good thing.
However, we need to pay attention to the bloom. It is a little thick. While I can’t recall any significant fish kills on Vilbig in quite some time. Conditions are making me a little leery. Hot, dry weather with a thick green bloom in 85 F+ water temps is a cause of minor concern. We are just going to have to watch it closely.
It’s summer. Probably the most stressful time of year. We have to remain diligent and make sure nothing happens.
Thanks, Vilbig Residents! Chad Fikes Fisheries biologist
