Studies by the U. S. Study Commission, Southeast River Basins, and cooperating agencies have disclosed that utilization of many streams in the study area is curtailed in part by excessively low stages and sometimes by excessively high stages during the fishing season. The U. S. Study Commission has considered the regulation of low flows by controlled discharge from upstream storage reservoirs as one means of improving such streams for fishing. Concepts and methods employed in the determination of flow-storage relationships, flow-fishery relationships, storage required to regulate flows, and measurement of fishery benefits are described in this paper. Results of the study indicate that the utility of some streams may be increased from two to five times with low-flow regulation; however, a much better understanding is needed of flow-storage-fishing relationships on which to base more accurate determinations of desired stages and potential benefits.
