The committee continues to work on Water Quality, Fishing Quality and Safety for all. Monthly water quality assessments will be performed by Aquatic Controls for the months of May through September. Monthly samples will be taken 10-14 days prior to the major holidays and reported back to us. The water quality at Sun Valley Lake is consistently at the highest level compared to other bodies of water in the region. Payment for these services is provided by the RIZ board and greatly appreciated.
Professionally recommended fish stocking continues; we added 10,000 RedEar Sunfish in April. These are important for balance in our lake, helping decrease the snail population and swimmers itch, also an important way to use the snails for the lake food chain making for healthier larger fish. Walleye and RedEars will be added in the fall.
The committee and volunteers completed more habitat work in mid-May, redeveloping 6 areas on the lake with both manmade and natural habitat products. Areas chosen are in no wake areas, guided by our lake consultants. These sites are marked on the map in this issue and on the website. The sites are also marked on the lake with blue colored buoys for safety and clarity. All products in these areas are designed to be at least 4 feet below the surface for safety of boating and water sports. This assumes that the lake stays at normal pool depth and no unforeseen changes occur to the structures once placed (such as wind, wake, and wave energy on them). Please be careful if recreating/swimming in these areas.
The Kids Fishing Tournament will take place on Saturday, June 29. Darla Turner and her team have again organized this event for a great family/lake association day. Nick Kuhn has again agreed to fry the fish harvested and lunch will be served after the morning of fishing. Medals and prizes will be awarded to the best catches of each species. Rules and registration information are on the website and in the clubhouse.
The Spring Bass Tournament, held April 26, was well attended with 23 boats registered. The fishermen worked their magic under challenging conditions. Severe weather the 24 hours before did not help their efforts and the day ended a bit early due to another rain event moving in. The good part of that is that the lake is finally up to normal pool. The obvious sad part of this is the damage that occurred to people, homes, and businesses in the area. A sincere thanks to Mark Evenrud for all his work on the committee and tournaments over the years---he is stepping down from these roles and we wish him well.
Left to right: Jordan Duckett, Ben Glass, Isaiah Seymore, Joe Johnson, Scott Steinkritz, Bob Campbell, David Meier, Dan Huisman
Team winners: 1st place: Dan Huisman, David Meier, 2nd place: Scott Steinkritz, Bob Campbell, 3rd place: Jordan Duckett, Ben Glass, 4th place: Isaiah Seymore, Joe Johnson. The Big Bass winners: 1st place: Isaiah Seymore, Joe Johnson, 2nd place: Dan Huisman, David Meier. Congratulations to them and all participants.
Please consult the Spring Views/News for info on lake mats to control vegetation around dock/swim areas. We will also use limited chemical applications at the two ramps and the beach area for vegetation control.
Members of the committee will be going out on the Lake Patrol boats with the primary goal of observing the use of the lake and seeing how member expectations are met. We will also be checking live wells and stringers to see what’s being harvested. This monitoring will greatly advise our future efforts. We will try to do this with minimal interruption of your lake enjoyment. Please note the minor changes to the fishing rules which are on the website and on the large blue signs at the boat-ramps.
We hope you have a great, safe, and enjoyable summer on the lake.
Sincerely, Doug Massop on behalf of the F&WQ Committee.
Contact:: fishcmte@sunvalleylake.com