A federal court on Friday denied the state of Arizona’s motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent a high-flow water release at Alamo Lake in western Arizona beginning this week. The Arizona Game and Fish Department voted in February to pursue blocking the water release.
The agency tried to stop the release because it feared it could disrupt fish reproduction. David Weedman is the aquatic habitat program manager for Game and Fish.
"It may have an impact or it may not," Weedman said. "It really depends on how the fish are able to respond to the drawdown this year."
Weedman said the agency does not oppose the project, just the timing of it.
"They need to do maintenance on the dam," Weedman said. "It's been 27 years since they've inspected the outlet works for the dam."
The project, being run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is expected to drop the lake level by 10 feet.