Bear Creek Reservoir

Ecological health rating

Bear Creek Reservoir rated fair in 2007. The ecological health score for Bear Creek has been poor in most years. The higher rating in 2007 was due primarily to the improved chlorophyll levels.

TVA monitors one location on Bear Creek Reservoir—the deep, still water near the dam, called the forebay—usually on a two-year cycle.

Bear Creek Reservoir Ecological Health Ratings, 1994-2007

Click chart for raw data

The table below shows the ratings for individual ecological health indicators at Bear Creek in 2007. These ratings are briefly explained in the paragraphs that follow.

Ecological Health Indicators at
Bear Creek Reservoir, 2007

Monitoring
location

Dissolved oxygen

Chlorophyll

Fish

Bottom life

Sediment

Forebay

Dissolved oxygen

As in previous years, dissolved oxygen rated poor in 2005. The lower half of the water column had low dissolved oxygen concentrations during the summer months.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll rated fair. The summer average chlorophyll concentration was slightly lower than in most previous years, resulting in an improved rating. Chlorophyll typically rates poor on Bear Creek Reservoir.

Fish

The fish community rated good. Fish community scores have consistently been at the upper end of the fair-to-good range.

Bottom life

Bottom life rated fair because few animals were found, and most were species able to tolerate poor conditions. Bottom life typically rates at the low end of the fair range or poor.

Sediment

Sediment quality rated good. As in previous years, the sediment samples were free of pesticides and PCBs, and concentrations of metals were within expected background levels.

See definitions of ecological health indicators and monitoring locations.

Fish consumption advisories

In March 2004 the state of Alabama issued a limited consumption advisory for largemouth bass from Bear Creek Reservoir because of mercury contamination. The state of Alabama states that the “intent of a limited consumption advisory is for women of childbearing age and children (less than 15 years of age) to refrain from consumption of any fish indicated under this advisory. All other individuals should limit their consumption of the particular species to one meal per month.”

TVA collected channel catfish and largemouth bass from the reservoir in fall 2006 for tissue analysis. The results, which were similar to those of previous years, will be provided to state agencies in Alabama. TVA will analyze fish from the Bear Creek Forebay again in fall 2007.