Winterkilled lakes

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by ecsuplander

Any idea how they manage the issues created by Sec 263 criminal code , as this is a Federal Law? Do they hope that the potential for litigation is so low that there is almost no chance of being sued. There have been two litigated cases( in over 30 years) involving this law and neither of these involved ice, each were related to open excavations. I am assuming that no one has discovered the reasons behind one area of the province using aeration and others areas not. Are these aerations units all operated by the ACA or were the ones running in the NW operated by some other organization? Was this a case of the ACA and the government unable to work to some workable solution? Just curious.

The Areation units operated in the NW was done by the ACA, Alberta Parks and Alberta Fisheries cooperating using the same Areation units as last year and protected by a Policy developed and approved by the Province.
The Swan Lake units were operated by the county.
All over Alberta, Areation units were operated in sewage lagoons and the like.

Don

[wind drift]

Originally Posted by skykomish sunrise

Off the trout topic but still odd in the fact we had one of the most mild winters in recent history and yet jackfish lake near stony killed this year as well. I can't figure out what's going on. With this warm winter there is no way some of these lakes should have killed

The most likely cause is increased phosphorous loading from sources in the watershed, such as manure and fertilizers. There was more algae bloom in Jackfish last summer. Not likely a coincidence.

Which is a segway to a comment that while it's great to see passion amongst the group over these stocked lakes, I wonder why the same or more energy isn't directed at the larger problems at the heart of much greater loss of fishing opportunities. There are thousands of hanging culverts all over the province blocking fish access, sediment puking along ditches into streams, cattle on lakeshores and streambanks, feedlots without waste treatment, crop fertilizers and chemicals, drained marshes and wetlands...all a consequence of unchecked, unmanaged, incremental and cumulative land use decisions. Where's the anger over that?

There used to be grayling in the Tawatinaw River, big runs of goldeye and walleye in the Battle River, a great walleye fishery at Lake Isle. Hassle Lake was a great fishery too, for stocked rainbows. Winter killed trout ponds can be restocked; those other losses hurt worse I would argue. Just something to think about, for perspective.

[Don Andersen]

Wind drift,

Would you start another thread or two that deals with habitat and water quality issues. These issues deserve full support.
Copying the post you made would be great.


Don

[JDK71]

That's to bad beaver lake was a good time

[ecsuplander]

It appears that the ACA did not operate those aerators in the NW, this was done by the province. The ACA is hopeful that they will reach a resolution that will return surface aeration to our lakes this fall. I am hopeful that this will be the case.

[Dragon Troller]

Email sent, the reply I received was less than informative.

It's pretty sad that the ACA and AEP could not cooperate enough to save the lakes in question. Very concerning that some were saved and others left to perish.

Glad on one hand that some Peace area lakes were saved, but sad the Southern and Central ones were not.

Stupid is the only word I can come up with to describe this fiasco.

[WillyOneStyle]

Originally Posted by lyallpeder

Is that the bever lake by lac la biche?

No, it's the beaver by Burnstick lake, west of Caroline.
I think it is a real shame to lose these lakes. We didn't lose any fishermen, those crowds that used to hammer beaver are now going to hammer somewhere else. If anything, we needed way more places to catch big stocked bows, not fewer.

[Pikebreath]

Originally Posted by skykomish sunrise

Off the trout topic but still odd in the fact we had one of the most mild winters in recent history and yet jackfish lake near stony killed this year as well. I can't figure out what's going on. With this warm winter there is no way some of these lakes should have killed

What is the water level like? Long term annual precipitation has been declining for many years,,, a lot of lakes have been on slow decline since the mid 70's/ early 80's.

Low water = less dissolved oxygen = fish kills.

What we need now more than anything is a return to a weather pattern with a much wetter bias for several years.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by wind drift

The most likely cause is increased phosphorous loading from sources in the watershed, such as manure and fertilizers. There was more algae bloom in Jackfish last summer. Not likely a coincidence.

Which is a segway to a comment that while it's great to see passion amongst the group over these stocked lakes, I wonder why the same or more energy isn't directed at the larger problems at the heart of much greater loss of fishing opportunities. There are thousands of hanging culverts all over the province blocking fish access, sediment puking along ditches into streams, cattle on lakeshores and streambanks, feedlots without waste treatment, crop fertilizers and chemicals, drained marshes and wetlands...all a consequence of unchecked, unmanaged, incremental and cumulative land use decisions. Where's the anger over that?

There used to be grayling in the Tawatinaw River, big runs of goldeye and walleye in the Battle River, a great walleye fishery at Lake Isle. Hassle Lake was a great fishery too, for stocked rainbows. Winter killed trout ponds can be restocked; those other losses hurt worse I would argue. Just something to think about, for perspective.

Well said, and I agree!

[LanceL]

Here's a solution. Oxygen levels are good until late Feb into March. So turn the blasted aerators on at this time period and close the lakes down until ice off. Simple as that. Lakes will have solid ice in the winter, fish will survive, and money will be saved.

[Exploits]

So has anyone been out to Beaver or Ironside to see if anything survived or is there still ice? I'll be heading out this weekend to check it out myself.

[tallieho]

Take your camera.Lotsa prey birds feasting on the carcasses.Probaly the odd bear around,coyote..Watch your dogs & kids

[Exploits]

So got some intel the ice is off. Going to give it a go this weekend to see if any trout survived, will report back.

[trigger7mm]

Originally Posted by LanceL

Here's a solution. Oxygen levels are good until late Feb into March. So turn the blasted aerators on at this time period and close the lakes down until ice off. Simple as that. Lakes will have solid ice in the winter, fish will survive, and money will be saved.

There's an excellent idea, and it didn't take a bunch of government beauocrats to think of it, which they obviously haven't.

[wind drift]

Originally Posted by trigger7mm

There's an excellent idea, and it didn't take a bunch of government beauocrats to think of it, which they obviously haven't.

Except for the fact that it won't work. Turning on an aerator mid-winter causes a oxygen crash through the entire pond by circulating deoxygenated water. The oxygen will recover, but not before fish suffocate. This is why the Gov't asked the ACA to shut down or not turn on their diffusers in some lakes in December.

[smitty9]

http://globalnews.ca/news/2652248/it.../?sf24786564=1

[Dr.Shortington]

Originally Posted by smitty9

http://globalnews.ca/news/2652248/it.../?sf24786564=1

Damn...that's sad to see!

[gman1978]

Originally Posted by smitty9

http://globalnews.ca/news/2652248/it.../?sf24786564=1

I heard about how bad it was at Millers. This is very sad. I do think that the persons responsible for these decisions should be held accountable. Imagine if a oil company had a mishap and killed the fish???? The real sad thing is many people predicated this would happen. What a waste of time and money spend to have this happen. Money Wasted!! Fish don't stock themselves it costs money.

[Map Maker]

All that has to happen is ACA hands over the aeration installation over to the provincial government. The provincial government installs and runs the aerators.
If the billion-in-one scenerio happens, then the plantiff can only sue the entire government and not a single person.

[Neil Waugh]

Remember guys, the ACA is not some stand alone, do-your-own-thing outfit.
It has a board of directors who are supposed to represent us and ultimately give Todd Zimmerling and his ACA staff their marching orders.

If you know any of these guys or they rep your organizations you might want to have a word with them and express how great a job they are doing.

Executive
Patrick Long, Chairman - Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta
Brian Bildson, Vice Chair - Public At Large, Business Representative
Bill Abercrombie, Secretary - Alberta Trappers Association
Robert Gruszecki, Treasurer - Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association
Tom Bateman, Past Chair - Public At Large, Southern Board Liaison
Directors
Ken Ambrock - Northern Board Liaison
Dr. Mark Boyce - ACA / University of Alberta Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife
Fred Calverley - Trout Unlimited Canada
Randy Collins - Alberta Fish & Game Association
Rob Duncan - Public At Large, Southern Region
Lee Foote - Public At Large, Academic Representative
Chris Fowler - Public At Large, Northeast Region
Leonard Hanson - Pheasants Forever
Brian Joubert - Nature Alberta
Chad Lenz - Alberta Professional Outfitters Society
Adam Norris - Public At Large, Northwest Region
Travis Ripley - Ministers Representative
Greg Shyba - Public At Large, Central Region
Vacant - Treaty 8

[Stillwaters]

We have Aerated lakes for years.Now we have a liability.
What a crock a nonsense!
Bravo!!

[martinnordegg]

Maybe there will be a ban on canoes etc. as well. God forbid someone or estate might sue over tipping a canoe is rough water and either have a tramatic experience or perish. Or maybe a shore fisherperson went out too far and sunk in some unstable bottom and perished. Imagine the repercusions from that.

There are an infinite number of scenarios a lawyer could imagine for Public use in a Public Facility. ACA GET A GRIP!!! Our Hunting and Fishing dollars at work..you bet

My goodness what the heck ever happened to even a semblence of common sense?

[Deer Hunter]

Incompetence.

[SNAPFisher]

Thanks Neil, appreciate that post.

So what does FLIPPR in Manitoba do different? Same aeration as here? I'm asking because I don't know if they do anything different. You want to see something done right, fish the Manitoba parkland and see what a well run aeration project can accomplish.

[Bigtoad]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Thanks Neil, appreciate that post.

So what does FLIPPR in Manitoba do different? Same aeration as here? I'm asking because I don't know if they do anything different. You want to see something done right, fish the Manitoba parkland and see what a well run aeration project can accomplish.

Indeed

[LanceL]

I heard they said "not happening"

[tallieho]

Flippr does do a somewhat better job.They do have there issues,similiarities as us.They did aerate there lakes in 15/16 winter.Some of there lakes are still ice cover,so my fingers are crossed for a ltd. winterkill.They have just institued a new way of doing things.Very much so on the lines as to what Brian Chan created in BC.Freshwater society.There fishing lic fees go into this ,lock stock & barrel[2013].So the jury is stillout on this.After attending there lakes for 6-8 wks yeraly since 2011.Things of note,more perch infestation.They suffer from lack of resources,education on aeration of there lakes.One lake in particular looses there fish,it seems yearly because of a flooding issue of the pump house[aerator].Fish conservation is key.Most release the fish,only allowed 1 over 16" with a reduced lic. fee.C&R, NO ICE FISHING.On some of there QSF.
One clareing thing is this FLIPPR Survives by donations,memberships to it.Municpalities that have the lakes in there juristiction,add money.Sponsrs like The Russell Inn,Town Of Roblin,Rossburn district etc..As well as fisherman spending MONEY !!! My apologises for getting of topic,a bit...

[Johnstone1980]

The world scares me.