Contributed by: Steve Burgoon
Well, it looks like Mother Nature has been kind to us for the spring of 2105. We had a milder winter than 2013/2014, so our ice conditions were manageable for the fish population. We DID NOT have a fish kill this year……….. and we know there are some Northern Pike that survived and grew over the winter as evidenced by the Magros catching a few at the end of March. We are seeing some growth in our fish population from our 2014 re-stocking and we will get some added stocking over the next 12 to 24 months courtesy of the Torstenson Family. Eric Torstenson is an avid outdoorsman/fisherman and has been fishing here for almost 20 years. He and his wife Gwen (Shully) have graciously earmarked funds to the Tower Lakes Lake Committee via their gift to the Tower Lakes Community Foundation. Eric and the Fish Management sub-committee will make final selection of fish species for stocking and timing to maximize the gift. What a great time for our young anglers to grow up in Tower Lakes. Thanks, Eric and Gwen!
Speaking of fish, we have an overabundance of carp, both young and mature. If left unchecked they will overwhelm the lake, a condition that caused the community to conduct a complete fish kill to set the lake back in balance. We will be addressing this concern over the next few months. While Tower Lakes is now “catch and release” on all water bodies to help our fish population grow, the lone exception is carp. We ask fisherman to “catch and dispose” of carp. Please use for fertilizer for a garden (remember the Pilgrims did this with the fish to grow the corn……….. 3rd grade social studies?) or dispose in the trash. Wrap the fish in two or three plastic grocery bags and set out on Monday nights with your regular pick up. Please see the information that follows from this spring’s “Cattail Chronicles,” a publication from the Lake County Health Department Ecological Services division. Very educational!!! Please read and heed.
With less snow and warmer, drier temperatures we are actually DRY and are finding some positive effects on our silt bags drying out nicely. We intend to re-plant this summer at the Northwest corner of Roberts Road and Route 59 this summer after we spread and till the silt. We will continue dredging at the north end of the Main Lake, let those bags dry this summer, and hopefully re-landscape in the fall or next spring. The committee is continuing their work with Lake County to approve and implement the grant to fill in the depression at Lathan’s Landing and re-landscape that area with native deep-rooted wetland grasses.