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| Deeper waters since a dredging project have led to more signs posted at Crystal Lake. (News-Tribune photo by ANGIE JOHANNSEN) |
Crystal Lake restocking underway
By PEGGY SENZARINO, For the News-Tribune
CRYSTAL LAKE - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to wipe the slate clean at Crystal Lake, in Hancock County so it can begin restoring populations of desirable fish like bluegill and bass next year.
The problem is the rough fish including common carp which have overrun the lake, according to Scott Grummer, DNR fisheries biologist.
The DNR plans to apply a fish toxin to Crystal Lake in late fall, possibly sometime in the middle of November.
“It depends on how fast we start to freeze up,” Grummer said.
Approximately 10 to 14 days before the fish toxin is applied, the DNR will allow over-fishing in order to salvage as many fish as possible.
The restocking of the lake will begin next spring.
The carp re-entered the lake during the flood of 1993.
A fish barrier installed during last year's dredging of Crystal Lake kept carp out of the lake during June's record floods.
Carp can cause poor water quality stirring up sediments on the bottom of the lake.
Carp spawn and can easily overrun a lake leaving little room for other species.
“This will be the final step to get the water quality restored and start that fishery over,” Grummer said.
The dredging of Crystal Lake involved the removal of 1.1 million cubic yards of silt.
The dredging costs $2.8 million. A total of $4.5 million was spent on the project which included construction of a dike and a filtration pond.
-Peggy Senzarino is a reporter for the Globe Gazette, a Lee Enterprises paper.
Story created Sep 16, 2008 - 10:39:48 CDT.
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