Volunteers saving POA money

More kayak fishing tournaments were approved for 2018.

The Joint Advisory Committee on Lakes heard how one of their volunteer projects has helped build up data about Bella Vista’s lakes.

The committee met at Riordan Hall on Oct. 18.

For the past few years, members of the Lakes Committee have been involved in a water quality testing program at each of the POA’s seven lakes. Once a week, during the warm weather months, several readings are taken at a specific spot on each lake. The information is turned into the staff of the Lakes Department biology laboratory.

Volunteers record the water temperature and use a Secchi disc to measure the water clarity. Lab technician Chris Fuller demonstrated the Secchi disc, which is black and white and about the size of a small Frisbee. It’s lowered into the water on a rope marked with measurements, he explained, until the disc is no longer visible. That’s the point where the reading is taken. The water clarity is used to estimate how much plankton is growing in the lake. The technicians plug the information into a formula that was developed by a University of Arkansas professor and that tells them how much fertilizer is needed in each specific lake.

“There’s no guess work,” Fuller said.

Each lake is different, he said.

Norwood is not fertilized because the Solar Bees — solar powered pumps — pull nutrients from the bottom of the lake to the surface.

Windsor stays in good condition without fertilizer, he said.

Loch Lomond often needs fertilizer.

The volunteers save his department money, Fuller said, and free up the technicians to do other work.

The committee also heard from the organizer of last year’s kayak fishing tournaments, Jason Adams. The tournaments were successful and he would like to add more to the schedule for next summer.

Although many of the kayak fishermen were from outside the area, there were no complaints from members, committee chairman Matthew Champagne said.

Board member John Nuttall, the committee’s liaison to the POA Board of Directors, said that there were 40 kayakers spread out over all seven lakes, so there was no crowding. Anglers, he said, are often environmentalists and the tournament is a catch-and-release event.

The committee voted to support Adams plan for up to six kayak fishing tournaments next summer.