# What a joke- Ausable river flows



## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

Looks like fuel versus flow is more important than the people that tried to help the lower Au Sable fishery.

Glad Consumers tried so hard to make things better this early winter After they fluffed our feathers the last couple!

What a joke!
This is what we get with a 250,000$ upgrade for automated equipment?
Looks like a Great way to make more power and pass the "expense" on to the consumer

Just for the sake of argument- Absolute Waste of Everyones Time and Effort! Lies is what I was Personally told by "public relations person"

Why will Oscoda not do anything to help their own economy?
I really had high hopes? Gut shot is the reallity we get.

See ya-


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## FredBearYooper (Oct 5, 2009)




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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I kind of agree, Ron; but at the same time, the increases and decreases are smaller than they used to be. In other words, they are increasing and decreasing flows more often, and in smaller increments. That can't be as bad for fishing as the huge swings we used to see. Not sure this will affect a ton of fish anyway. Last time I was up (Nov 15th) there weren't a whole lot of Steelhead in the river. That may have changed.


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## CAPT HEAVY (Nov 4, 2002)

Most of these small NE MI towns seem like they dont really care what goes on, just as long as they barely get by with their budgets. Harrisville is ready to turn to dust and most of the people here are just fine with things. Just not sure if Oscoda has enough power to do anything of substance to consumers. Just my 2 bits. Hopefully things turn around eveywhere.


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

Ya, Things are much better.
Hardly any swings in flow for the month...














Ron Matthews said:


> What a joke!
> 
> This is what we get with a 250,000$ upgrade for automated equipment?


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Maybe the auto system is still not installed? Seems it should be by now, I know it wasn't a month ago when I inquired on here. Who knows, I'm not gonna jump to conclusions yet, but things seem to be the same.


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

I have been informed the automated system has been operational the last 10 day's and they are still working out the bugs.

we'll see what the next 10 day's bring..


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

So, it is well known that high water events trigger Steelhead to run rivers. They actually run when the water is dropping from a high water event. Seeing these fluctuations makes me wonder if anyone is benefitting from increased numbers of Steelhead in the Ausable the last couple weeks? Seems like these flows should have pulled quite a few fish into the system.


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## herb09 (Jan 11, 2009)

Heading there for a few days this week I'll let you know.


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

611 cfs today in the middle of the day? what the hell is that sheet? 

Herb- Good Luck Man! 
were back to the freeze/flood thing from last yr now, again...


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)




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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Yup, looks a bit odd. I'm so damn sick of this! Even though I don't live on the East side anymore, it just pisses me off. Three years running now, we've had to deal with this ****. It's AMAZING this never happened till about 2006. Why, all of a sudden, they can't get a handle on a river they've been _using_ for YEARS AND YEARS is baffling. 

I'm sure we're in a low cycle for fish return numbers there, but the few that do still winter in the A, don't bite worth a crap with this kind of flow. Winter fish want comfort and stability, which does not happen on the Au Sable river during winter anymore. It's just absolutely laughable that, though we've been on their asses for two years now, they still pull this.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Now I agree, 100%!!! There is no justification for dropping the flow from 1000 cfs to 600 cfs in a matter of hours. None. That just screws the river up in ways nobody can measure. Additionally, it is very dangerous for anyone who is boating on the river. How many insects are left dry and frozen when this happens? There is nothing natural about water flows dropping that far, that fast, on that river. What an abused resource the lower Ausable has become.


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## herb09 (Jan 11, 2009)

Thank's Ron, should'nt have posted, they new we were bringing the boat. But on a positive note we should be able to see um.


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

herb09 said:


> Thank's Ron, should'nt have posted, they new we were bringing the boat. But on a positive note we should be able to see um.


 
:lol: It's My falt Herb, Sorry!

I just can't take it anymore.
After being told by Consumers that they were Very intrested in helping this situation and they Are Stewards of our resource, I'm kinda second guessing myself because I Think I was Suckerd!! 
Damn I hate feeling like a Sucker...
We all gave them the chance to make things right and look were we're at? Again this year...

I feel the opportunity is lost to have even a chance at a winter fishery on the Au Sable Again this winter of "10" 

I'm calling it angler harrassment and I wan't something done.
It's Not by Chance that this keeps happening, It's part of Consumer Energys' "Master Plan" 

I feel this is a test ground for continued operations to become the "norm"

If people won't help resolve these issues on the Au Sable, Whats to stop Consumers from doing this on other systems? Or Even Every System??


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## Ron Matthews (Aug 10, 2006)

ausable_steelhead said:


> It's AMAZING this never happened till about 2006. Why, all of a sudden, they can't get a handle on a river they've been _using_ for YEARS AND YEARS is baffling.
> 
> 
> > This is a system Not new to Consumers as they have automated controls for the upper dams as you well know..
> ...


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## streamertosser (May 20, 2008)

checked out kelly's most recent report from his site today among other stuff i've been following on the topic. The flows are absolutley rediculous it is now apparent that consumers fed us all a total line of BS.... pretty disappointed in the results of promises that got mine and many others hopes up last year.


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

Are the flows above Foote any better? Is this only at this station or is it a combination of pulses from upsteam? I'm in the same boat as most of you and want to see it come back, had way to much fun there over the years. good, luck, Kevin


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## streamertosser (May 20, 2008)

There are very few consistencies from one guage site to another among those displayed on the USGS website for the AuSable.
Consumer's needs to get their **** together. I understand that it is winter and that probably has something to do with the flows fluctuating some? but going from 1300cfs to 900cfs to 1000cfs back down to 600cfs then up 800cfs within a 24hour period is rediculous. and comparing those numbers with what's going on upstream just doesn't make sense, you've got low to high number in one spot and high to low numbers in others. they just need to get it together. i know it's a different system, but the manistee doesn't seem to have this many issues with flow. maybe the lack of dams(2) as compared to the AuSable(6) plays a role in it? who knows... i just hope it gets worked out.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> i know it's a different system, but the manistee doesn't seem to have this many issues with flow


They're starting to do some of the same there. Since this flow issue with the Au Sable, I've been checking the Big Man a little the last couple winters, and they get some of the same mismanaged flows. It's just not as frequent or drastic, as the Au Sable. Here's a recent flow chart for the Manistee:


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