Thursday, July 19, 2007

Watership renews fishing lake contract with state

by Clarke Davis

Local fishing enthusiasts who like going to Nebo State Fishing Lake will continue to have the privilege for at least the next 10 years.

he Delaware Watershed District board of directors voted at its quarterly meeting July 12 to renew a lease with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Board Chairman Earl Stevens, Valley Falls, had opposed renewal of the lease and wanted to find a sportsman’s club or private entity who would reward the district monetarily. The state does not pay the district to lease it, an arrangement that began in 1965.

Board member Tim Bolz put a motion before the board to advertise in the metropolitan papers to search for parties interested in a lease and to determine what the market would be. That motion failed, 2-4.

A later motion to lease it to Wildlife and Parks passed on a voice vote. Nine of the 11 board members were present.

The 38-acre lake is unique in that it is owned by the Watershed District, the only piece of property in its possession.

John Silovsky, public lands supervisor for Wildlife and Parks, expressed the state’s desire to continue the same arrangement.

Silovsky said the state has made an investment at the lake, which has an annual operating budget of $4,600.

He presented a paper showing that W&P had provided a $30,545 toilet in 2001, spent over $7,000 for fish stockings and fish feeders from 2000 to 2006, and spent over $20,000 for a boat ramp, parking, fishing pier, and habitat placement in 1995.

A creel survey in 2002 determined nearly all who use it are local and the lake attracts an estimated 4,000 trips a year. It was reported there were two camping units there on Memorial Day and most days there are no more than one or two fishermen.

Stevens had argued that the watershed should receive income from the asset to help maintain the dam, keep up the fence, and have money to build other dams and facilities. Others speaking to the topic thought it should be open and available to all taxpayers.

The board members spent a considerable amount of time discussing the fence that zig-zags around the perimeter and ultimately agreed to get bids to replace and pay for all of it.