Keeping game fish in the reservoir with barrier netting, while protecting native fish in the river below
Pacific Netting Products (PNP) designed and manufactured a barrier net and debris boom to prevent introduced game fish from escaping over the reservoir’s concrete spillway into Elkhead Creek and the Yampa River during high-flow events. This escape poses a serious threat to native fish species that are endemic to the Yampa and Green River systems. To ensure the integrity of the barrier net and maintain its effectiveness, PNP also engineered, built, and installed a floating debris boom. This debris boom system protects the netting from damage caused by large floating debris, such as logs and woody material.
Elkhead Reservoir Recreation
Elkhead Reservoir, located nine miles northeast of Craig, Colorado, spans the Moffat and Routt County line. As one of northwest Colorado’s premier flat-water recreation destinations, the reservoir offers a variety of outdoor activities, including fishing, boating, and camping. Each year, it hosts the popular Fishing Classic tournament in early summer, drawing anglers from across the region. Visitors can explore an array of recreational opportunities, from scenic hiking trails to water-based adventures. For more details on camping, fishing regulations, and current conditions, visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.
The game fish are stocked in the Elkhead reservoir to enhance the summertime recreational activities and the fishing tournament. In the Springtime, the water levels rise enough to spill over the dam, this was allowing the game fish to escape into the river below where they posed a risk to the native fish species.
PNP constructed custom reservoir barrier netting along the spillway along with a debris boom to protect the system
The debris boom system features 19 sections of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floats, each 24 inches in diameter and 50 feet long. These floats are foam-filled to ensure buoyancy and durability. To minimize debris such as tumbleweeds from overtopping the boom, PNP incorporated a continuous fusion-welded HDPE “splash guard.” Positioned at a slight angle along the top, this guard enhances debris deflection. Additionally, a 48-inch-deep rubber debris skirt, reinforced with weight bars, hangs from the lower keel to prevent debris from passing underneath.
PNP’s design integrates several advanced installation features. The Dyneema® SK75 ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) ensures exceptional strength and longevity. The HDPE floating MultiFunction debris boom adapts to changes in surface water elevations, allowing it to perform effectively in dynamic conditions. Furthermore, the system is built for resilience, capable of withstanding ice embedment and deflecting large debris, including tree trunks measuring up to 1.5 feet in diameter and 30 feet long.
INSTALLATION FEATURES
- Dyneema® SK75 ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
- HDPE floating MultiFunction debris boom
- Enhances survivorship of native listed fish species
- Accommodates changes in surface water elevations
- Debris boom designed to withstand ice embedment and deflect 1.5-foot-diameter x 30-foot-long tree trunks and partially submerged objects
