The meeting location for this year’s Friends of Reservoir annual gathering is Idaho Falls, located in eastern Idaho within the Upper Snake Plain. Water has long been a valuable commodity in this part of the arid West. Water from the Snake River drainage has and continues to be the lifeblood of the economy of Idaho, making agriculture not only possible, but the largest contributor to our state’s economy. Agriculture within the Upper Snake Plain of eastern and southern Idaho is only possible because of several water storage reservoirs and a vast delivery network of diversions, canals, and ditches that have been constructed and maintained for well over 100 years. Along with this infrastructure development came opportunities and challenges not only for agriculture but for fish and aquatic ecosystems as well. This presentation will provide a high-level introduction to the several reservoirs located in the Upper Snake River watershed and share some of the history of these reservoirs and challenges and opportunities associated with these important water bodies.

Coming soon

Cochiti Lake is a man-made reservoir in Sandoval County, NM, that faces issues similar to that of many other lakes and dams of the Southwestern United States, including sedimentation, eutrophication, shoreline degradation, and the proliferation of invasive species such as Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM). To combat these issues, Pueblo de Cochiti has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to engage in techniques designed to rehabilitate these degraded environments and provide new habitats in the process. USACE will complete its greenhouse construction after multiple delays, allowing the planting and propagation of native vegetation to be used in various future projects. Cochiti Pueblo will use this funding to renovate its fish hatchery to begin repopulating the lake with native species of fish, such as the Rio Grande Chub, the Rio Grande Sucker, etc. Benthic barriers will be installed along targeted shorelines of the lake to dissipate the EWM infestations and upon the barriers’ removal, will plant native aquatic species along 1.5 miles of shoreline in their place, protected by Herbivory Exclusion Cages. Further, the Pueblo will create and deploy floating islands that will host multiple native riparian plant species. These islands will not only serve to increase the number of native plants in the area, but will also sequester nutrients such as Nitrogen and Phosphorus, form fish habitats among the roots of the plants, and increase the aesthetic appearance of the lake with the vibrant colors and beauty of the plants. The results of this project will be used to guide future projects and as such has been designed to be reusable and sustainable.

Regular angler opinion surveys conducted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game continue to document anglers in the state feel strongly that the Department should focus efforts on managing for native Cutthroat Trout. The South Fork Snake River east of Idaho Falls is home to the strongest fluvial population of native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri in the state. The biggest threat to the continued persistence of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in the South Fork Snake River are non-native Rainbow Trout O. mykiss which compete with and hybridize with cutthroat. The abundance of both Rainbow and Cutthroat trout is also tied to water management and associated releases of water from Palisades Reservoir. Between 2004 and 2017, IDFG collaborated with the operators of Palisades Dam (Bureau of Reclamation - BOR) to manage flows to obtain spring freshets with the goal of reducing Rainbow Trout recruitment while increasing recruitment of Cutthroat Trout. Mathematical models indicated spring freshets exceeding 25,000 cfs in the South Fork Snake River could be a tool used to limit Rainbow Trout abundance. After more than a decade of managing for spring freshets, IDFG and BOR evaluated the effectiveness of spring freshets on limiting Rainbow Trout abundance. Spring freshets were not effective at limiting Rainbow Trout recruitment, likely due to the fact that freshets ≥25,000 cfs were not possible. The evaluation showed a strong positive relationship between winter flows and abundance of age 1 trout the following year, both Rainbow and Cutthroat trout. While managed freshets did not prove to be the silver bullet fishery managers were hoping for, this experiment highlighted the importance of freshets on habitat complexity and quality and Cottonwood generation as well as highlighted opportunities for adaptive management using winter flow releases from Palisades Reservoir.

New Mexico is in the worst drought in recorded history. There was almost no Rio Grande or Pecos reservoir storage going into 2026 and almost all of the water in the Rio Grande and Pecos watersheds have been released for irrigation, domestic use or compact agreements with Texas and Mexico. Combined with record high temperatures and high evaporation rates, Elephant Butte Reservoir was drawn down to the lowest level since 1954. Almost all of the fish habitat put into Elephant Butte from 2010 through 2023 has been exposed. This provided the opportunity to examine the wide variety of fish habitat designs and materials. The plan was for plastic habitats to never be exposed to direct sunlight, shoreline wave abrasion or other environments that may lead to degradation and microplastics. In 20 minutes, a summary will be provided with a summary of the Elephant Butte Monitoring Report and an update on findings from anglers and project monitors.

A brief talk on reservoir habitat done by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The AZGFD has been installing habitat in some reservoirs since the 80’s. Before the creation of the statewide program, this was done at each region’s discretion and efforts varied widely throughout the state. The statewide program was created in 2013 to centralize the project for continuity and to assist the regions who may not have had time and resources to take on the projects themselves. Since the creation of the program approximately 13,000 structures have been installed in 35 waterbodies across the state. We’ll take a broad look at some of the recent and upcoming projects we have planned as well as steps we’ve taken to modernize the process such as Survey123 and monitoring using Livescope.

Formerly known as Beyond the Pond, the National Fish Habitat Fund Inc ("the Fund"), the 501c3 nonprofit that supports the 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) under the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program.

The Fund’s mission is to provide non-federal funding for on-the-ground conservation activities that support the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish and aquatic habitats across the United States. We fundraise only for the 20 Congressionally recognized FHPs in good standing with the NFHP program’s Board of Directors. We help the FHPs manage grants and donations and serve as their fiscal agent.

We are focused on increasing contributions to implement more on-the-ground projects each year. We share communications and outreach about the NFHP program with people and organizations who are interested in fish and water conservation and stewardship. We serve as a conduit to the private sector, nonprofit foundations, and individual donors to bring in crucial support for these high priority conservation projects.

Reservoir restoration succeeds when local communities are mobilized around a shared vision, and Friends of Reservoirs (FOR) Chapters are uniquely positioned to lead that effort. This presentation provides a practical, actionable guide for building strategic partnerships and sustainable fundraising at the local level. Attendees will learn how to assess their own constraints, identify high‑value partners, and apply strategic partnership approaches to expand capacity, reduce risk, and accelerate project success. Emphasis is placed on the essential role of local efforts: engaging community foundations, corporate giving programs, civic organizations, and other nonprofits that share conservation, recreation, or community‑development goals. The session highlights the importance of working closely with local fisheries biologists to ensure projects align with ecological needs, agency priorities, and permitting realities. Attendees will also learn how to leverage FOR’s nonprofit structure to increase grant eligibility, strengthen donor confidence, and streamline fundraising. The presentation concludes with a clear outline of how the Director of Conservation Partnerships can support Chapters through partner outreach, fundraising guidance, proposal development, and strategic planning, helping every Chapter mobilize its community and deliver lasting habitat improvements.

This presentation will focus on how Iowa's Lake Restoration Program utilizes partnerships, experience, and research to restore Iowa reservoirs for resiliency.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has been propagating native aquatic plants for use in the state’s aging reservoirs for over 10 years (2014-2026). Beginning with small experiments, at multiple sites, the program has now grown into a 4,800 ft2 facility with two heated areas and a large out-yard. In 2026, with the help of several partners, the Commission constructed its first state-of-the-art greenhouse facility. This new building includes automation for watering and cooling systems. Native plant production is no longer limited by facility space rather labor is now the issue. Staff are now relying upon volunteers such as Master Gardener programs and school groups fill the new facility. Once efficient protocols are designed, the Commission should be able to produce more than 18,000 potted native plants each summer.

Over the past decade, the Innsbrook Fishing Club has led a comprehensive effort to improve water quality, fisheries, and recreational opportunities across more than 100 lakes and ponds within the 8,000-acre Innsbrook Resort community in eastern Missouri. Established in 2016, the volunteer-driven organization developed a science-based approach to managing a diverse aquatic system consisting of both natural waterways and manmade lakes originally constructed in the 1970s.

This presentation will provide an overview of the strategies, partnerships, and management practices used to evaluate and enhance aquatic resources throughout the community. Topics will include water quality monitoring, electrofishing surveys, creel surveys, fish population management, aquatic habitat enhancement, and long-term performance tracking. Attendees will learn how data-driven decision making helped guide improvements in fish populations, ecosystem health, and angler success.

The presentation will also explore the challenges and opportunities associated with managing waters within a homeowner association setting, where stakeholder interests, funding priorities, and environmental goals must be carefully balanced. Through case studies and results from ten years of implementation, participants will gain practical insights into building support for lake management initiatives, collaborating with property owners, and sustaining long-term improvements in aquatic ecosystems

Key lessons learned, notable successes, and recommendations for other communities seeking to enhance reservoir, lake, and pond resources will be highlighted throughout the presentation

A recent policy update within the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) allows forecasted conditions to be officially used in planning future water management operations. Since 2014, the USACE have been key partners with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at the University of California-San Diego and with other federal, state and local agencies in a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary research and development effort called Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). FIRO has been exploring how improved forecast skill, hydrologic modeling and observations can better inform water management decisions in response to the USACE water management policy change.
FIRO viability is assessed at candidate sites through the use of a Research And Operations Partnership (RAOP) that brings scientists, engineers, regulators and reservoir operators together from across academia, federal, state and local agencies and their partners to assess the potential. FIRO implementation at pilot sites has demonstrated that implementation of FIRO can improve water availability, flood risk management and ecosystem benefits without costly infrastructure modifications.
This presentation will summarize Phases I and II of the FIRO program, highlighting what was learned and accomplished in the first decade of the program; give a status update on progress with the goals of Phase III, the National Expansion Pathfinder, the current phase of the program; and share some thoughts on what’s next for FIRO in the USACE and their partners. Legislative and agency changes to support FIRO both within USACE and beyond across its 10+ history will also be presented.
The importance of the role of collaboration will be also emphasized. From partnering with academia to the collaborative FIRO viability assessment process, by means of the RAOP, collaboration is at the heart of FIRO success – not just in determining how much flexibility in operations could be supported by the current science in meteorology, forecasting, hydrology and water operations, but also in building lasting relationships of institutional trust between stakeholders at any given reservoir.

Golden algae (Prymnesium parvum) continues to pose a major challenge for fisheries managers across the Southwest due to its ability to produce toxins that can cause fish kills, notably in reservoirs throughout Arizona. Canyon Lake is located between Apache Reservoir and Saguaro Reservoir, along the Salt River in Central Arizona, and the three reservoirs have a history of golden algae related fish kills since 2005. In response to these fish kills, from February through May 2026, the Arizona Game and Fish Department partnered with SonicPure to evaluate the field performance of the Sentinel AIQ ultrasonic technology as a non‑chemical tool for reducing golden algae abundance and mitigating toxicity in Canyon Lake. Three units were deployed at Boulder Recreation Site, with an untreated reference site at the Palo Verde Ramp for comparison. Phytoplankton community composition, golden algae relative abundance, and bloom‑stage conditions (Pre‑, During‑, and Post‑bloom) were monitored throughout the evaluation period.

Preliminary analyses indicate that algal community structure shifted across bloom stages, while spatial differences between treated and untreated sites were comparatively small. Morphological assessments further revealed that flagella and haptonema structures were absent in a proportion of cells at the treated site, suggesting potential sublethal effects of ultrasonic exposure.

This project represents one of the first field‑scale assessments of ultrasonic technology for golden algae management in a desert reservoir. Results will help fisheries and water‑resource managers evaluate whether ultrasonic pulsar systems can reduce golden algae impacts and protect fish populations in large reservoir systems.