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This is something that might be of a concern if you fish the Preston area.
See attached press release.
The Glendale canal company is changing how its handles its lakes. If you want to get involved and voice your opinion there will be a meeting in Preston Id at the courthouse Monday April 20th at 6 pm on the 3rd floor.
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It is going to be somewhat less convenient for some, but with the high numbers of ski and power boats that come in from out of state it makes sense to be proactive in prevention of damage.
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I know this might anger some people, but I for one, like it. I might actually go fishing in the summer again. The ski boats that don't care about rules, just aren't as fun as they used to be.
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I'm with you. I hardly ever fish Glendale, especially during the warmer months, because of the obnoxious boaters. I may just have to get to know Glendale a little better this year.
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I am also glad to see the motor size restrictions on Foster, Lamont, and Johnson. Wake was really eroding the shorelines on those little reservoirs. It makes sense to restrict them to prevent more damage.
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10hp limit? That's a bit extreme. I have a 15hp, and that thing isn't remotely a power boat.
Guess I'll be exclusively using the trolling motor now, but I can live with that. Though the restriction inconveniences me, I like it!
I loved fishing Lamont the past few years, but gave up on it last summer because it had been turning into a party lake.
I have taken my boat out all of twice on Glendale in the past 4 years. And both times the water was completely churned to mud from the power boats, and I wound up all the way up in the reeds to the east to try to find some calm water to fish. (I suppose that won't necessarily change until late in the season, but it's something...)
And Johnson routinely looked like a boat show last summer, as well (though at least I've never seen anyone trying to ski or board there).
I love that so many people fish. But not as much as I love solitude and serenity! Bring on the clear water!
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The way I read this , you can't have a motor larger than 10 hp on your boat . Can I have a big motor on my boat but not use it ? Just use my electric trolling motor ?
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The way I read the "only method of propulsion on the boat" is that you can't have the larger motor on there.
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That is the way I read it too . In the fish and game regulation you can have a big motor on your boat , on electric motor only waters . You just can't use it . I wish that is what the irrigation company would do .
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Call them. It sounds like nothing is written in stone yet, so now is the time to get comments in.
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As mentioned, I interpreted it as the bigger motor must not be on the boat at all.
I assume it's so that it makes it simple/obvious to verify who is compliant and who is not. Otherwise, it might be a bunch of, "No officer, I haven't used the big motor. Just using the troller. I have no idea why there are 2 foot waves crashing onto the shore!"
I'm lucky in that my outboard is only 2 bolts. I think I'll buy a couple of big wingnuts for those bolts so I can just spin them on and off by hand.
Plus, it leaves me with a bit more space in my tiny boat! (Which means I should probably think about buying more stuff I don't need.)
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This is much friendlier than what they wanted originaly, from what i hear. It will be interesting to see if the twin lakes canal co. follows suite.
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What are all those people with their $50,000 ski boats going to do if Twin Lakes closes to big motors too? Sucks to be them, but you can't really argue with the fact that the dams are eroding. Now if we can just keep some water in the reservoirs this could be a golden age for a tube fisherman such as myself.
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They make alot of money renting out camp spots at Twin Lakes .For years I have been wishing they would make the south lake , fishing only .
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I was just thinking about how nice that would be if they did that at Twin. I like Twin, but I hardly fish it because it gets so crazy there. If at least one of the lakes was wakeless I'd probably explore it a lot more.
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I doubt the canal company cares about the revinue from the camping. an outside company runs all of that. but the twin lake canals arnt piped like the east side ones.
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Well, I haven't been on or posted in a very long time, but, in reading about this issue in Franklin County, I found the results of the County Commissioners public meeting online this morning and thought I'd post them up. I fished Glenndale yesterday for pan fish but no luck. Only 2 other boats on res. but the State Dept of Ag does have some one there every day checking boats for the little nasty bug that has caused this concern. Here is what the Preston paper has published on the public hearing:
Input given on Quagga ordinance
April 24, 2015
By [url "http://www.prestoncitizen.com/?author=745"]prestoncitizen[/url]
By ROBERT S. MERRILL
Assistant editor
Courtroom chambers were filled to capacity on Monday with folks who expressed their feelings about a proposed Franklin County ordinance regulating the inspection of watercraft and associated equipment to help prevent introduction of Quagga mussels into Franklin County waters.
Commissioners scheduled the public hearing to gather input regarding the ordinance and said following the meeting they would render a decision this coming Monday.
Portions of the proposed ordinance state:
[ul][li]If any mussels are found to occur in Franklin County, they shall be reported immediately. Positive identification may then be made by the Department of Agriculture or other qualified authority as approved by the director.[/li][li]No person may transport equipment or any conveyance containing mussels over public roads within Franklin County without first being decontaminated.[/li][li]A person shall not place any mussel-contaminated equipment or conveyance into any water body or water supply system in Franklin County.[/li][li]A water body owner (irrigation company) is authorized to require documentation of an inspection of equipment and/or transportation by a qualified inspector of the Department of Agriculture… prior to an individual’s use of the water body (reservoir or pond.)[/li][/ul]
The water body owner may establish individualized inspection standards for its water body, including… refusal of access to the water body for any individual who fails to meet the individualized standards of the water body.
The proposed ordinance also states that any person who knowingly violates any provision of this ordinance, or who fails or refuses to comply with the water body owner’s inspection standards implemented under this ordinance… “is guilty of an infraction and may be cited and fined by the county in an amount not to exceed $300. Water body owners… may eject persons acting in violation of this ordinance.”
There seemed to be an equal number of people who spoke both for and against adoption of the ordinance. Farmers and those who are agriculture-based favored the rule. Others, who recreate on the irrigation reservoirs, generally spoke against it.
Frank Priestley, president of the Idaho Farm Bureau, said he supports operations at all the check stations in Franklin County.
“Counties that border with Utah have to be more vigilant in their efforts to do everything possible to keep Quagga mussels out of the state,” he said. “This is a huge issue.”
Travis Windley told those at the meeting he is appealing to irrigation companies to use whatever tools they have at their disposal, other than restrictions, to prevent mussels from entering local waters.
He feels education of those boaters and recreationists who use the waters is necessary and called them the watchdogs of the reservoirs.
Another boater, Lennel Thomas, testified the proposed ordinance would start a war between the irrigation companies and the boating public.
Brian Jensen, president of Consolidated Irrigation Company, which owns Glendale, LaMont, Foster and Johnson reservoirs east of Preston, said the ordinance is not aimed at excluding people from recreating on the water.
“This is designed to help us, who built the reservoirs, to supply water to farmers, protect our assets. We have spent millions of dollars in recent years building distribution systems that are highly vulnerable to Quagga mussels,” he said.
Larry Hansen, who owns a lot of property around Glendale Reservoir, said he and his family have boated on it and other local reservoirs for a number of years.
“No one is asking boaters to give up their fun… just to cooperate with the boat inspections,” he said.
I have been fishing Glenndale now for many years, and in the last couple have noticed a decline in the number and size of pan fish. I am wondering if the large boat wakes and amount of sediment from boats is having an impact on the spawning grounds of the pan fish. Is anyone else seeing this happening or what are anyone else's thoughts on the issue. I for one am glad to see some checking of boats for the Quagga which can shut off irrigation pipes, but if down the road this ordinance does eventually get passed, it should apply to all boats etc, as Idaho law talks about as it can be transported by any water craft and other things like wadders etc if not cleaned, as I remember reading on it.
Oh by the way, the water temp was 56 and full reservoir. Interesting to hear what everyone thinks on this as it goes forward.
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Sounds like the skiers will head to Willard, American falls or massacre. aybe they can all go to stone.
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Whole float tubing Glendale last year, I had a boat that wasn't watching at high speed come close enough to me that I nearly flipped. I'm all for this.
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