Anglers will notice a missing class of many fish species in three to four years, said Phil Bettoli, a Tennessee Tech University biology professor and assistant unit leader for the US Geological Survey's Cooperative Fishery Research Unit.

 

The Middle Tennessee region experienced deadly flooding following heavy rains that began May 1 and continued for three days. The Cumberland River in Nashville crested at 52 feet, its highest since 1937, according to the National Weather Service. Many parts of the region saw three-day rainfall totals between 12 and 15 inches or more.

 

Several naturally occurring fish species in the Cumberland River - like largemouth bass, sauger and crappie - probably did not reproduce this year during the optimal period from mid-April to late May. If they did, their eggs or young were likely flushed out of their river or stream habitats and died. Trout populations, usually supported by stocking programmes, also will be badly affected, he said. In places like the Caney Fork River below Centre Hill Dam, the state will simply restock trout because the fishery is so highly valued.

 

"There will be measurable affects on fish communities, and for the most part, it won't be good. But it's short-lived," Bettoli said.

 

"Some fish prefer habitats that are more lake-like and others thrive when it's more river-like. But with a flood of that magnitude, there are a lot of species that are probably just going to skip a year of reproduction," he said.

 

However, in the next year, the fish will make up for it. "Nature has a way of bouncing back from extreme conditions very quickly. Eventually, nature has its way," he said.