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SILVERWOOD DEBRIS CLEANUP -- ONS-matthews 03mar04
Volunteers needed to help clean up debris at Silverwood
By JIM MATTHEWS, Outdoor News Service
SUMMIT VALLEY -- The Lake Silverwood State Recreation Area has been closed since the fires this past fall, but park superintendent Larry Cermak, thinks the facility can be opened to anglers within a month or so if -- if -- they can get the lake cleaned up.
So Cermak is looking for volunteers every Saturday in March to help with the cleaning process.
Between fire, which burned virtually all the way around the lake, and flooding in December, the park facilities took a beating, and sediment from the runoff has created vast shoals in Cleghorn Canyon and to a lesser extent in Miller Canyon. There is also extensive debris in the water and along shorelines that needs to be cleaned up before the park can reopen.
"We're asking fishing groups to volunteer a little time to help us get the lake open sooner than we'd be able to do this without their help," said Cermak. Anglers with boats may be asked to help remove floating timber, and shorelines are clogged with fine debris that would make excellent mulch. In fact, Cermak has been contacting garden clubs and nurseries to come up and get the mulch-like material. Free. Wood from fire-killed trees is also available for $10 a truckload.
Anglers who volunteer to help clean up might want to reserve a little time to do some fishing. The dam area is the only part of the lake that is currently open, and it is open only to shore angling. The Department of Fish and Game has been stocking trout in this area on a regular basis. The bite has been pretty good. On Friday, a handful of anglers fishing off the dam all had limits or near-limits of rainbows to 16-inches, and there were some pan-sized stripers also caught.
Frankie Aragon of Redlands had five nice trout up to 1 1/2 pounds, mostly on small jigs and Power Bait, and John Tisler of Apple Valley landed two "pan-sized stripers" about 14-inches long fishing cut baits. Ivan Hampton of Hesperia and Heath Patterson, also of Hesperia, were both well on their way to limits of trout at 3 p.m., and Patterson had a rainbow that looked to be about two pounds.
"Don't tell anyone. This has been our little secret," laughed Aragon.
Outside of the shoreline debris, the water quality at Silverwood appears excellent, and Cermak said there were apparently no fish dieoffs caused by the fires or subsequent flooding and debris. He said that biologists with the Department of Fish and Game predicted the lake's productivity would probably improve over the next couple of years because of the increased nutrients washed into the lake.
Volunteers should contact park at (760) 389-2281 to get more information on helping.
Volunteers needed to help clean up debris at Silverwood
By JIM MATTHEWS, Outdoor News Service
SUMMIT VALLEY -- The Lake Silverwood State Recreation Area has been closed since the fires this past fall, but park superintendent Larry Cermak, thinks the facility can be opened to anglers within a month or so if -- if -- they can get the lake cleaned up.
So Cermak is looking for volunteers every Saturday in March to help with the cleaning process.
Between fire, which burned virtually all the way around the lake, and flooding in December, the park facilities took a beating, and sediment from the runoff has created vast shoals in Cleghorn Canyon and to a lesser extent in Miller Canyon. There is also extensive debris in the water and along shorelines that needs to be cleaned up before the park can reopen.
"We're asking fishing groups to volunteer a little time to help us get the lake open sooner than we'd be able to do this without their help," said Cermak. Anglers with boats may be asked to help remove floating timber, and shorelines are clogged with fine debris that would make excellent mulch. In fact, Cermak has been contacting garden clubs and nurseries to come up and get the mulch-like material. Free. Wood from fire-killed trees is also available for $10 a truckload.
Anglers who volunteer to help clean up might want to reserve a little time to do some fishing. The dam area is the only part of the lake that is currently open, and it is open only to shore angling. The Department of Fish and Game has been stocking trout in this area on a regular basis. The bite has been pretty good. On Friday, a handful of anglers fishing off the dam all had limits or near-limits of rainbows to 16-inches, and there were some pan-sized stripers also caught.
Frankie Aragon of Redlands had five nice trout up to 1 1/2 pounds, mostly on small jigs and Power Bait, and John Tisler of Apple Valley landed two "pan-sized stripers" about 14-inches long fishing cut baits. Ivan Hampton of Hesperia and Heath Patterson, also of Hesperia, were both well on their way to limits of trout at 3 p.m., and Patterson had a rainbow that looked to be about two pounds.
"Don't tell anyone. This has been our little secret," laughed Aragon.
Outside of the shoreline debris, the water quality at Silverwood appears excellent, and Cermak said there were apparently no fish dieoffs caused by the fires or subsequent flooding and debris. He said that biologists with the Department of Fish and Game predicted the lake's productivity would probably improve over the next couple of years because of the increased nutrients washed into the lake.
Volunteers should contact park at (760) 389-2281 to get more information on helping.
