Beaver Lake bass spawning habitat

[Spiel]

Beaver Lake bass spawning habitat

 

 

January 9th, 2009

Anthony S.C. Hampton / Napanee Guide

 

 

Beaver Lake bass spawning habitat improvements underway in January

 

A project to improve spawning conditions for bass in Beaver Lake near Erinsville will go ahead this month.

 

According to Lennox & Addington County manager of roads and bridges Steve Roberts, the project is being carried out under the direction of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans as part of the HADD program.

 

“It’s the Harmful Alteration Damage or Destruction to Natural Habitat program. In 2007 we did the Puzzle Lake Bridge road reconstruction on County Rd. 15. This displaced the bass spawning beds there,” said Roberts.

 

After consulting with the DFO and biologists, the site in Beaver Lake was selected to make up for the displaced spawning beds from Puzzle Lake.

 

“They have directed that compensation be located on Beaver Lake, adjacent to highway 41 in Erinsville.

 

“What we’ll be doing is creating five spawning beds. The DFO felt this was a more productive and beneficial location to restore spawning.”

 

In building up the spawning beds, workers will lay wash stone, varying from 1.5 to 3.5 centimetres thick. The stones are selected to create the optimal spawning environment for the bass.

 

“The volume of stone is about 250 tonnes, and that will be placed over the five spawning beds. The gross area is approximately 140 square metres total, which means the five areas are about 28 square metres each.”

 

Although it might seem work like this would be better suited to warmer months, the project is timed so that the stone can be placed on top of the ice.

 

“The wash stone will be placed on the ice, then it will settle into the lake bottom in the spring. Primarily, this is because of current issues. Letting it sink in the spring allows it to naturally settle.”We’ve done this in several other locations over the winter, the material has a more natural ability to settle.”

 

By allowing the stone to sink to the bottom, it will be naturally located where it is least likely to be shifted later by currents. The stones are also protected from quick cover by sedimentation. All of this improves the chances for bass that will use the habitat to lay their eggs and then spawn.

 

“For those reasons, the DFO directed that this be done under winter conditions.”

 

Work on the new bass habitat is being carried out in several phases, with an overall, up-front cost to the county of $15,000. The project has already been approved for shared funding, however, so the federal and provincial governments will be reimbursing the county for $10,000 total.

 

According to Roberts, the work is set to be completed sometime between Jan. 6 and Jan. 16.

 

For more information, contact the County of Lennox & Addington at 613-354-4883 or the project manager, G.D. Jewell Engineering of Belleville, at 613-969-1111.