5/4/2007 - Fishy project  

  First off, thanks to the WCDA board and their grant of $1450 to our project.  What is our project?  It’s a northern rearing pond! 

     This winter I envisioned that a backwater area of the Shell Rock River would make a good northern pike rearing pond.  This was because it usually floods during the spring, and it had a narrow entrance to the river proper.  So, this winter, a handful of students and I completed a temporary “fish fence” to keep predator fish out of the area, and baby northerns (fry) in the area. 

     We placed woven wire across the narrow spot, and lined it with minnow net.  To date, it seems to have worked as planned.  The river rose this spring to within an inch or so of going above our fence.  The carp and other fish which normally seem to move up into the area were kept out.  We received 50,000 fry from the state DNR and placed them in the area.  Now it’s up to the fish to grow. 

     Mid May we will try to either capture them for release, or depending upon water conditions, simply open the fence and let them swim out.

     The fence is not the best way to accomplish our goal, so about halfway into the project, it occurred to me to ask for a grant to make a permanent dike.  This was received and with the continued blessings of the land owner (thanks DP) we should be in for a better pond next year by building an earthen dike and fish weir (again to keep predators out and fry in).

     The final hurdle is to get permission from the DNR and Corp of Engineers.  There is paperwork to file (for moving dirt in a flood plain), but it shouldn’t present a problem.

     So, in the future, we should be able to add to the northern pike fishery in the county.