LA GRANDE, Ore — Drought conditions in Eastern Oregon have prompted Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt temporary rule changes in bag limits, possession limits and harvest methods at Thief Valley Reservoir.

According to ODFW biologists, the temporary rule is needed to provide the public an opportunity to salvage fish that will be killed during this year's drought conditions when Thief Valley Reservoir is drained for irrigation purposes.

“Thief Valley Reservoir has reached dead storage level which means only a few small pools of water remain,” said Tim Bailey, ODFW’s fishery biologist. “Fish isolated in these pools will become stressed by warm and turbid water, and will die.”

In order to allow anglers to take these fish the following temporary rule changes have been made for Thief Valley Reservoir.

Beginning Aug. 1, Thief Valley Reservoir is open to angling for all game species with the following conditions:

       (a) There are no daily catch or possession limits;

       (b) Anglers may harvest fish by hand, dip net or angling; and,

       (c) There are no size limits.

The above amended regulations are in effect from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, 2007.

Thief Valley Reservoir is located on the Powder River in the Southeast Oregon fishing zone.