Aug 27, 2008 11:23 am US/Pacific
Trout Trapped As Lake Level Lowered For Repairs
KIRKWOOD (AP) ―
Work is under way at Caples Lake in the high Sierra to trap trout and transport them to another lake so repair work can begin on a dam.
A scientist with the state Department of Fish and Game says the lake level will go down to a depth of 6 feet, which means it could freeze solid this winter. The lake, popular with anglers, contains 20-year-old trout that are as long as 3 feet.
The water is being lowered so the El Dorado Irrigation District can make emergency repairs to the dam's outlet gates.
The fish are being zapped with electrical current, netted and trucked seven miles to Silver Lake.
More than 100 people, including 80 volunteers, are working around the clock to catch as many fish as possible by Thursday.
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