Turner Reservoir construction complete, filling is slow

Bri Weigel
NLJ Correspondent
 
Recent construction on Turner Reservoir’s infrastructure is complete after it drained in 2019, but now the reservoir is filling at a much slower rate than anticipated. JTR Excavation, of Mills, Wyoming, began work on
the reservoir in late January and finished in May, accord-ing to Aaron Voos, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Forest Service. 
Turner Reservoir, a popular 4-acre recreational reservoir, sits about 7 miles northwest of Osage. The reservoir was built around 1993, according to a 2019 interview with Ryan Nupen, a U.S. Forest Service engineer. The reservoir drained the summer of 2019 due to an “infrastructure failure,” as stated by a U.S. Forest Service press release following the drainage. 
Jeremy Ross of JTR Excavation said the old infrastructure essentially rusted away, allowing water to run around it and wash out the dam. Jim Darlington, range manager for the Inyan Kara Grazing Association, also said the culvert rusted away and a big flood overwhelmed the system. To fix the issue, Voos wrote that JTR Excavation installed a new outlet pipe, control gate and spillway, along with completing construction on the dam embankment. 
“The way that dam works is, it fills up with water and it just keeps filling up because it’s filled by a natural artesian well. Well, that just runs water constantly – the reservoir is fed by that – the way to control that is to let it run out (and) around through the spillway and into the ditch on the outside of the dam, which is obviously lower than the dam,” Ross said. 
Ross clarified that the emergency spillway is the ditch outside of the dam that helps keep the water level consistent. He said that the new head gate also helps control the flow of water through the recently replaced pipe.  
The U.S. Forest Service funded the project, though because fixing the reservoir was not a typical maintenance project, Voos explained in an email that the local Forest Service had to apply for the funding through the regional office in Denver. The project took longer than anticipated due to the length of time it took to obtain funding, solicit for a contractor and then get the contractor on site, according to Voos. Work moved fairly quickly once JTR Excavation began work this year.
“It’s a good-looking job, I think, (with) the new style of draining in there, and they put a surface overflow on there too. They put a ditch that goes around that
ties into the back side where the creek is. So it should maintain a certain level,” said Bob Williams, local resident and
avid fisherman.
However, the reservoir is not filling nearly as quickly as all involved anticipated. Voos emailed an update on the reservoir earlier this month. He said the spring-fed reservoir is expected to naturally refill now that construction is complete, so Forest Service engineers plan to investigate the slow fill rate in the coming weeks. Voos speculated that possible causes include reduced spring production, another leak in the infrastructure or even hot, dry weather and a high rate of evaporation. 
Locals are hoping the issue is resolved soon. Turner Reservoir was once a loved fishing hole in Weston County, and residents are eager to see the reservoir refilled and restocked. 
Paul Mavrakis, a regional fisheries supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said the department will restock the reservoir when there is sufficient water. He said the reservoir will be stocked with trout twice every year, and he anticipates largemouth bass will likely be transplanted back in the reservoir too.  
“We’ll go out and look at water depths and temps to find the best companion fishery for the trout that are stocked on an annual basis — I assume bass and crappie will be in that mix,” Mavrakis said.  
If Game and Fish introduces bass and crappie, Mavrakis said, the fish will likely be transplanted from other places to create an “instant fishery,” but all stocking is dependent on when the reservoir fills and if it holds water for the long term. 
Mavrakis also spoke to the stickleback problem the reservoir faced before the infrastructure failure. Stickleback are classified as minnows that are not native to the area. The fish reach a maximum size of 3 inches and have spines on their backs, making them harmful to other fish, hence their name. 
Mavrakis said that since the reservoir drained, any big population of stickleback should have gone with the water, so the invasive minnows are not a big concern right now. However, if they’re in that drainage, Mavrakis said, there’s not much Game and Fish can do about it other than hope the stickleback aren’t there in big numbers, because treatment options are overwhelming and expensive.
When asked if he will return to fishing Turner Reservoir, Williams was enthusiastic.
“Absolutely! I’ve always liked Turner Creek. It had trout, bass, crappie. It was a variety of fish, and it was a lot of fun to fish,” he said.