Wilson Reservoir

Ecological health rating

The overall ecological health condition in Wilson Reservoir was poor in 2010. The reservoir ratings for Wilson have fluctuated in a pattern that generally follows reservoir flow conditions, primarily due to the influence of flows on dissolved oxygen in the forebay. Like most Tennessee River main-stem reservoirs, Wilson tends to rate better in years with higher flow and worse in dry years that result in extended periods of low flow.

Wilson Reservoir Ecological Health Ratings, 1994-2010

Click chart for raw data.

The table below shows the ratings for individual ecological health indicators at Wilson in 2010. These ratings are briefly explained in the paragraphs that follow.

Monitoring locations	Dissolved oxygen	Chlorophyll	Fish	Bottom life	Sediment
Ecological Health Indicators for Wilson Reservoir, 2010
Forebay	Poor	Poor	Fair	Poor	Good
Inflow			Fair	Fair
Dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen levels near Wilson Dam rated poor due to the presence of low concentrations in the lower water column from May through September. Dissolved oxygen typically rates fair in years with more normal flows and poor in dryer, low-flow years. Chlorophyll Similar to most previous years, chlorophyll rated poor because concentrations were elevated throughout most of the summer. Fish The fish community rated fair at both monitoring locations. The fish assemblage has scored consistently at the upper end of the fair range to good at the forebay whereas the inflow has primarily fluctuated within the fair range except for a poor rating in 2000. Bottom life Bottom life rated poor at the forebay monitoring location, probably due to low oxygen levels near the reservoir bottom and lack of good habitat. This indicator rated fair at the inflow location. Sediment Sediment quality rated good. No PCBs or pesticides were detected, and all metals concentrations were within the expected range. Sediment quality typically rates good, but chlordane, a pesticide previously used to control termites and crop pests, was detected in the sediment sample from the forebay in 1998 and 2004, resulting in fair ratings. See definitions of ecological health indicators and monitoring locations.

Fish consumption advisories

Wilson Reservoir - TVA maintains a program to examine contaminants in fish fillets from TVA reservoirs and their major tributary streams on a rotational basis. The data collected from this program is distributed to the state officials who are responsible for placing or removing fish tissue consumption advisories on those bodies of water. For information on advisories currently in effect for Wilson Reservoir, visit the Epidemiology Division of Alabama Department of Public Health’s web page. http://www.adph.org/tox/index.asp?ID=1360