Mcneely Lake in Louisville, KY - 01/31/09 04:09 PM
I live in Louisville, Kentucky. Nearby is the the county's largest lake- Mcneely. It's a 52 acre lake with an average depth of 12 feet (max of 35 ft near the damn). The lake is overfished, has a golf course on the eastern side of it, and has a large waterfowl population. Needless to say, its highly eutrophic, with massive blooms of algae and cyanobactera (bluegreen algae) in the spring lasting until fall.
I've noticed a major decline in species of catchable fish too. I've been fishing this lake since the late 80s. The variety of fish used to consist of : Bullhead cats, channel cats, bluegill, warmouth, white crappie, and largemouth bass. In the late 90s, the Dept of Fish and Wildlife eradicated the shad population of the lake. Now the catchable fish consists of: Largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcrackers, channel catfish, and a few flatheads. The crappie, warmouths, and bullheads are gone. I don't know if this was a direct result of the shad eradication, or a result of being outcompeted by species of fish which benefited from the shad eradication.
So what can I do to help this lake? I was thinking about starting a water quality monitoring program, of course I know very little about that. I have a certification in wastewater treatment, but I don't have any of the equipment. Is it legal for citizens to even attempt to modify a public lake? For example, trying to create suitable spawning habitat for fish (bass buckets, gravel beds, etc).
Suggestions are welcomed!
I've noticed a major decline in species of catchable fish too. I've been fishing this lake since the late 80s. The variety of fish used to consist of : Bullhead cats, channel cats, bluegill, warmouth, white crappie, and largemouth bass. In the late 90s, the Dept of Fish and Wildlife eradicated the shad population of the lake. Now the catchable fish consists of: Largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcrackers, channel catfish, and a few flatheads. The crappie, warmouths, and bullheads are gone. I don't know if this was a direct result of the shad eradication, or a result of being outcompeted by species of fish which benefited from the shad eradication.
So what can I do to help this lake? I was thinking about starting a water quality monitoring program, of course I know very little about that. I have a certification in wastewater treatment, but I don't have any of the equipment. Is it legal for citizens to even attempt to modify a public lake? For example, trying to create suitable spawning habitat for fish (bass buckets, gravel beds, etc).
Suggestions are welcomed!