Drawdowns coming; fish in nursery ponds gone

The Joint Advisory Committee on Lakes spent most of the May meeting talking about lake drawdowns, and he had bad news about the nursery ponds on the Berksdale Golf Course.

He had four ponds in use as nursery ponds when the golf course was flooded in late April. Although he hasn’t been able to seine the ponds and know sure, he doesn’t believe he will find any fish.

The water from the creek washed over the ponds and some or all of the fish were washed away. There were some very young crappie in at least one pond where adults had been placed to spawn, but fish from the creek were washed into the nursery ponds and probably ate the tiny crappie.

Last year, Echols successfully raised crappie on the golf course and stocked several lakes.

There will probably be two lake drawdowns this winter, Lakes and Parks Superintendent Rick Echols told the group.

Both Loch Lomond and Lake Avalon will probably be lowered. During drawdowns, residents can have work done to their docks.

The lakes will be lowered beginning in mid November, then allowed to refill beginning in mid-February. Refilling can be a slow process if it’s a dry season, the committee agreed.

During the winter months, POA staff will be working on a new beach area on the west end of Lake Avalon. The lake will need to be lowered so sand can be spread in the swimming area.

Last winter, Loch Lomond was lowered so work could be done on the seawall near the Lakepoint Event Center.

Because the drawdown was not announced in advance, residents of the area complained that they didn’t have the chance to do work on their own property.

The POA administration agreed to a second draw down this winter for the residents.

Echols said he will consider all the lakes each year and decide if any of them need to be lowered. In the past, the lakes were on a schedule so each could be drawn down every seven years, but Echols feels like he needs more flexibility.

Rather than a fixed schedule, the decision will be made based on need. There may not be a drawdown in the winter of 2019-2020

Two lakes may never be lowered, Echols said. Lake Brittany and Lake Norwood are difficult to keep full because there are no springs feeding them. Lowering those lakes could be a problem, he said.