Henry’s Fork, August 30th, 2022
Be ready with terrestrial insect patterns anywhere on the river. Honey, also called cinnamon, ants are showing up along the upper river, and the trout love them.
Below are Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s status report headlines for the Henry’s Fork drainage.as of yesterday.
Headlines:
- Yesterday’s low temperature was the coolest since June 30, but the daily mean was average for the date.
- At 72% of average, natural flow over the past week is 2nd lowest on record, just ahead of 2016. No drought relief is in sight, as very hot, dry weather is expected for the next two weeks.
- Island Park Reservoir is dropping at around 800 ac-ft/day and is 54% full, compared with 50% full on average.
- Water quality: : Afternoon high water temperatures were a little higher yesterday than on Sunday at most locations due to warmer weather. However, water temperatures stayed below 68 degrees at all locations. I expect afternoon high water temperatures to climb back up to 70 degrees or higher over the next few days at Pinehaven and St. Anthony. Water temperatures at all other locations will likely stay below 70 degrees due to shorter days and lower sun angle. In particular, the reach between Warm River and Ashton is shaded much of the day now and will not absorb nearly as much solar radiation as the reaches upstream of Pinehaven and St. Anthony.Water quality was good yesterday across the watershed, but afternoon water temperatures are likely to reach 70 degrees again at the warmest locations.
Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
P.O. Box 550
Ashton, ID 83420
208-881-3407 CELL
208-652-3568 FAX