Town digs new fishin' hole

Karen Warnick - The Independent | Posted: Friday, May 6, 2011 5:00 am

Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner, Jack Husted (center) with G&Fstaff, NRCS staff, the NAVIT crew, Town of Eagar officials

Note:  ground breaking ceremony  actually occurred (and photograph was taken) on May 2, 2011.

 

EAGAR - When the Game and Fish Department designated Becker Lake as a catch and release
only lake last year, Round Valley lost a local area fishing hole for kids and families. Through a
process that has taken over a year and included several organizations, a new municipal fishing
pond, as yet unnamed, is being developed on land Arizona Game and Fish is leasing to the town
of Eagar.

Game and Fish acquired the property in 1960 for the water rights that were later severed and
transferred to Lee Valley Reservoir. The property lies within Eagar city limits and the department
had no plans for the property as it doesn't contain any significant wildlife or habitat sites.
The two to three acre pond will be 12 feet deep and have a parking area. It will provide fishing
opportunities for area residents and visitors and could potentially generate more than $60,000 a
year to the local economy according to Game and Fish spokesman Bruce Sitko.

The property is on School Bus Lane just off Highway 260 and is easy to access. The area is
conducive for a closed aquatic system and will be stocked with trout, catfish and sunfish. Using
live bait will be allowed and a regular fishing license will be required. Catch limits will be smaller
but the catch rate will be higher because of more fish in the pond.

The original 10 acre site had to moved a little and the project has been delayed because of a
nearby archeological site and pottery shards found in the area.

Northland Pioneer College's NAVIT program is doing the construction of the pond and parking
area with funding from Game and Fish, but will only be able to work for two weeks this year. The
project is estimated to be completed by late spring of 2012.

In addition to leasing the property to Eagar, Game and Fish will stock the pond, monitor the water
quality for fish health and enforce fishing regulations. The town of Eagar will operate and
maintain the property, provide a dedicated source of irrigation and water for the pond, provide
utilities and carry liability insurance on the property. Future plans, as funding becomes available,
include restrooms, ramadas, picnic tables and other amenities.

Dean Wiltbank of NAVIT says the opportunity for the students to work on a real-world project
that will be there for years is an invaluable experience.

Game and Fish commissioner Jack Husted was at the ground-breaking ceremony and said that the
agencies have created a good partnership that the State needs to know about.

Eagar Mayor Kim Holaway told the group that Game and Fish is greatly appreciated for their
work in putting the project together to benefit area communities.

Reach the writer at kwarnick@wmicentral.com