Why are they emptying Chin Res?

[Old Goat]

I was out at Chin this past weekend and it looks half full. The water is at least 200 feet from where shoreline was this spring. The boat launch is to the end of its concrete slabs and over the 24hr time period I was there the shoreline at the launch had receded 3 ft. At that rate the res will be empty by the end of the month. Does anyone know why they are letting the water level get that low when the St Marys Res is full? I would say that if they leave it this low or it keeps lowering that the fishery will suffer along with family recreation, as the boat launch is now basically unusable. (Camp site manager was going to close it on Monday) Any thoughts on the reason for why the would empty Chin so low?

[Big Sky]

Irrigation?

I thought Chin regularly got low like this, particularly in warm dry years.

[Dale S]

The potato and sugar beet crops use a lot of water. It should start to level out, most grain crops are done irrigating. And the potatoes are close to being done. I've seen,under the bridge, just the original creek bottom with water in it.

[Winch101]

Usually a little later but by August 20 ,the launch is out of the water .
These reservoirs have nothing to do with recreation , they are there
To store water to be sold .....if you want a chuckle phone the EID
And demand to know what is going on .

[Wes_G]

I would also guess at irrigation. Its been hot and dry the last 3 weeks. All these reservoirs are here for 1 main purpose and that's to provide water to farmers. Any fishing or other recreational benefit comes second.

[greylynx]

Any dead Walleye,Pike.Lingcod, or other fish washing up on shore?

Thank you Mr. Dago.

[Old Goat]

I get the reason that they are there for the storage of water for irrigation. But I just figured that they would empty the res evenly. As St Mary's res is full. Truthfully I have never been to Chin past this time of yr and I have only been in south Alberta for 3 summers so i a hoping it does not get to the level as just a creek, as the wife and I really enjoy that fishery.

[huntsfurfish]

Ahh. So you havent experienced the droughts of Southern Alberta. It has been good for the last 5-6 years or so. Water can get scarce down here when it is dry(like it has been for the last month or so. Reservoirs get real low.:sad0071:

[Habfan]

Maybe they are doing repairs to the dam.

[Old Wizard]

In a particularly bad year, I walked across Chin on the west side of the bridge from the south shore to the north. Got a bit of mud on my shoes going through the creek channel. Even Grassy was too low to launch a boat. That's when Jeff B. got the idea to extend the Grassy and Chin launches by getting people to buy the concrete blocks to be used to for the job. Bought a couple myself.

[Old Goat]

thank for all your info. I did not know the reservoirs down here could get so low during certain yrs.

[TROLLER]

In a particularly bad year, I walked across Chin on the west side of the bridge from the south shore to the north. Got a bit of mud on my shoes going through the creek channel. Even Grassy was too low to launch a boat. That's when Jeff B. got the idea to extend the Grassy and Chin launches by getting people to buy the concrete blocks to be used to for the job. Bought a couple myself.

And I for one thank you for your participation. Did not know they put the concrete blocks in Grassy. Been a long time since I last fished there.

I wonder how low the res. east of Chin will fare. Thinking not only Grassy but Fourty Mile.