Evergreen Lake is looking a lot better

Big thanks to the Evergreen Rec. District and Evergreen Metro District for handling the aquatic weed problem in Evergreen Lake. It took quite an effort but it appears to have helped the water quality a whole bunch.

The aquatic weed is Elodea. It is most often found in aquariums but is also common to lakes and ponds throughout the US. The weed was present for the past few years, but it is not exactly known why this year has seen such a large bloom. An early and low run-off combined with hot temps and minimal precipitation may have created a perfect environment for the weed to thrive. The Rec. District began some mitigation practices in late July. The paddle boats and kayaks were becoming tangled with the weeds. They were also experiencing difficulties the previous winter during ice making operations with clumps of weeds being pumped out onto the ice. The golf course also takes water from the lake for irrigation and was required to clear the area near their intake a number of times per day. Even the water treatment plant was required to remove weeds from clogging their intake.

A little more information is in this weeks Canyon Courier.

For the past 3 weeks EMD has had crews cutting and raking the weeds to shore. The weeds are then transported to Bear Creek Lake Park and composted. The weeds will grow back so The Rec District has requested Colorado Parks and Wildlife (formerly DOW) to stock sterile grass carp in the lake as early as September. The carp can eat up to twice their body weight per day, which is good because the weeds can grow a few inches in a day.

Although quite a bit of the weeds have been removed, there are some patches that are still growing and a number of smaller floating mats present. Rec and Metro District staff will be monitoring the weed growth over the remainder of the season and will control as needed.

Prior to clean up

Hauling in weeds

As of this morning

Updated 10/30/2011 - DOW stocked 100 White Amur (Sterile Grass Carp) on 10/12/2011. They are about 20" long and should survive predation by the Musky and Cormorants. If you catch one, they fight well, but please put them back.

Have you ever caught a fish there?

I was fishing off the shore about a year ago and had connected with something very big. I was fishing for trout and believe that I had one on my lure but that a musky must have grabbed the fish. It took a bit of line, but then broke off my 5X tippet. I never tried to intentionally catch them in Evergreen Lake. I have seen them basking along the shoreline before and saw one trapped in the fenced in area that they build for the 4th of july fishing derby. They have to be at least 36" before you can keep them. A couple times in recent years musky have made it over the spill way and into the creek below the lake. On one occasion a musky was netted in the creek and brought back up to the lake and 'restocked'. These are Tiger Musky, a sterile hybrid, and cannot reproduce.

I have fished for Musky and Northern Pike only in northern Wisconsin.