# Mosquito lake water level



## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Within the last 4 to 5 years the core is not keeping water back Like they use to does anyone know the reason? This does hurt some spots I use do well in and I know some of u guys to! Thx! I know it's operated from the Pittsburg core guys!!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Also the mussels have played a part in the shallow fishing making it clearer


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## wetlander (Jul 12, 2012)

This discussion has come up in years past especially during droughts, when the lake was low and they still released water. The short answer is that the lake's mandated purpose is flood control. Water supply for Warren, water quality downstream, and recreation figure in but flood control is first. That's not what fisherman want to hear, but the fact is the US Congress mandated the lake for flood control and they are the only one who can change that. One of the people from Pittsburg COE asked me " Do you know what the most effective flood control lake is?"Answer "An empty one". Had to admit he was right


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

My lake is and has always been constructed to be first flood control, yep.. second a fresh water reservoir


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

wetlander said:


> This discussion has come up in years past especially during droughts, when the lake was low and they still released water. The short answer is that the lake's mandated purpose is flood control. Water supply for Warren, water quality downstream, and recreation figure in but flood control is first. That's not what fisherman want to hear, but the fact is the US Congress mandated the lake for flood control and they are the only one who can change that. One of the people from Pittsburg COE asked me " Do you know what the most effective flood control lake is?"Answer "An empty one". Had to admit he was right


Well with all the wet weather we have had like this year and everything else is flooding u would think they would plug up the lake so like the little muddy would recede some before they let more into it! They Just keep the flood gates open! So why don't they keep it up to level they use to?


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Also am pretty sure the human population in the warren and surrounding area population is going down so the water being used is down!


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## wetlander (Jul 12, 2012)

As noted, release of water is determined by the ACOE in Pittsburg. It has to be hard to anticipate rainfall and the amount of storage needed. My guess is it's better to overestimate rain and keep the lake lower than the other way around. I also believe they keep the lake at a lower winter pool because of shoreline ice damage and erosion.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Look at the tremendous amount of erosion of shoreline at WB. A large amount of it is "wave/wake" making rec boaters running wide open in Restricted areas(no, or little patrolling!), the rest is from the "level controllers"! The erosion of that shoreline out there is disgusting!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

c. j. stone said:


> Look at the tremendous amount of erosion of shoreline at WB. A large amount of it is "wave/wake" making rec boaters running wide open in Restricted areas(no, or little patrolling!), the rest is from the "level controllers"! The erosion of that shoreline out there is disgusting!


Well if they did not drop it every fall there would be less erosion that's more of the issue! Banks left exposed! The water core people need to be delt with!!!


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## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

I'm not sure flood control is the sole number 1 reason they let water out of the lake. I believe it goes hand in hand with keeping the Ohio River navigable during droughts too. This line from the ACOE Pittsburgh district website speaks volumes towards that end. As far as messing with the fishing, I think the biggest problem with the fishing over the last 20 years is the mussels as stated earlier.... that lake fished better 20 years ago when it was 3-4 inches of visibility....


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

reelwonders said:


> I'm not sure flood control is the sole number 1 reason they let water out of the lake. I believe it goes hand in hand with keeping the Ohio River navigable during droughts too. This line from the ACOE Pittsburgh district website speaks volumes towards that end. As far as messing with the fishing, I think the niggest problem with the fishing over the last 20 years is the mussels as stated earlier.... that lake fished better 20 years ago when it was 3-4 inches of visibility....


But Like right now we all had swollen rivers and creeks they still were letting it out! The little muddy has enough water there is something else !


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 years ago, the "summer pool level" (s) of Mosquito, West Branch, and Berlin, were all reduced. Mosquito and Berlin's , summer pool leveles were reduced by .7'. West Branch's summer pool level was reduced by 1.4'. At the same time, each lakes winter pool levels were increased. 

As winter pool levels had no bearing on my fishing the lakes, I am not sure of the actual numerical difference in the levels, but I do remember that it was a rather significant increase for West Branch in particular. West Branch used to be dropped 8' in the winter. Now it's only dropped 4.5'. 

Anyhow, perhaps the summer pool levels were decreased to add flood storage capacity for summer rains, or to tame some shoreline erosion. 

As far as the water level of Mosquito, or any of the other named lakes being dropped in the summer is concerned. Not only is the water in Mosquito, Berlin, and West Branch used for reasons already listed, they are also part of the flow augmentation system for the Ohio River. 

The Ohio river has a minimum pool level that must be maintained for commercial navigation. If the river needs water to maintain that pool level. water is released from reservoirs in the flow augmentation system. In wet years, pool levels stay higher, longer into the summer. In dry years, they are dropped more quickly.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

A couple of posts while I was typing mine. I just checked the Army Corps of Engineers reservoir web site. It lists Mosquito's current pool at 901.47' Mosquito's old summer pool level used to be 901.4. So Mosquito is .07' higher than what its summer pool number used to be. Berlin's old summer pool level was 1024.7, and West Branch's old summer pool level was 986.5.

As far as them still letting water out despite the rivers being full? Because they're moving water. It's that simple. They need to move water to maintain a certain percentage of flood storage capacity. It's not a government conspiracy. This has been going on for at least the last 40 plus years I have been fishing these lakes.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Nice infor bud thx! My buddy lives right by the lake he sees trucks every day gettin water! Where's that going maybe fracking!!!


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## reelwonders (Apr 10, 2016)

brad crappie said:


> But Like right now we all had swollen rivers and creeks they still were letting it out! The little muddy has enough water there is something else !


Agreed, I have no idea why they drop so much this time of year!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

We the citizens of Ohio that pay taxes should know the truth!! It's our water!


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## wetlander (Jul 12, 2012)

Guess I should qualify my winter pool statement. Back in the 70 s we use to duck hunt the lake, and would set up and pull the boat back in the willows and hide it. You can't do that now. I also think the overall capacity has been reduced with siltation. I know the corp has done some studies on it. If you are old enough to remember, there was a major drawdown late seventies maybe early eighties. Stumps and sand bars poped up everywhere mid lake and to the north. You could launch at the causeway and motor (with care) around the lake. We scrounged a lot of tackle off those stumps, and I heard there was some assume bass fishing on them too. Lately I have seen the lake down, but not near that level, and you couldn't come close to getting a boat in.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> We the citizens of Ohio that pay taxes should know the truth!! It's our water!


No it's not. It's the Feds water. The state just leases the land around the water for recreation. The Feds control the water for flood control and down river navigation as Bassbme stated.

The only thing constant is change. You have to adapt or die out. If it's not the "government" changing "our" lakes making our fishing difficult, it's mother nature screwing with us.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Lewzer said:


> No it's not. It's the Feds water. The state just leases the land around the water for recreation. The Feds control the water for flood control and down river navigation as Bassbme stated.
> 
> The only thing constant is change. You have to adapt or die out. If it's not the "government" changing "our" lakes making our fishing difficult, it's mother nature screwing with us.


Well I understand that but its wrong! True democracy not but it's still pretty damn good! I have evolved to find the fish but lower water means less little guys make it through the spawn! Just gettin answers! Do u want more Lake Erie water leaving to the southeast and west! That's what their trying to do! Erie right now is at its highest since the early 90s


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't get why people are complaining that they're (the Army Corps of Engineers) dropping the water right now. You do realize that the docks that "we the tax payers" paid for are or were all but unusable this past week? You want to hear people complain? Just leave the lakes at the level they're at now. lol

Also, if they left the water up and it rained again like it has of late, can you imagine what the water levels would be? If they kept them at these levels just so they could have water in them later in the year, it would decimate many of the fish species, spawning habitat. Come on some of you guys ...... this isn't rocket science.

A few years back the state reached an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to stabilize the water levels of the various reservoirs the Corps controls, during a certain time of year. That time of year being the spawn for the various species of fish in the lakes. Even with the agreement in place, the Corps main purpose to maintain a certain percentage of the lakes available storage capacity, for flood control.

It's part of the life. It's been this way for a long long time.


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