Utah Lake Feb. Newsletter

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF][url "https://us14.campaign-archive.com/?u=81543442399c32c0fce942192&id=554f3508b7"]Here is the newsletter[/url] (link) for February. The Utah Lake Commission is looking for some volunteer help for several projects.
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[catchinon]

Thanks TubeDude. I looked over the volunteer opportunities and found one I think we could do. I'm looking for people who use the Lincoln Beach area to see if they would want to participate. They could PM me.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I have participated in a lot of past cleanup projects around Utah Lake in the past. And we have had some BFT fish fests and fish fry get togethers down at Lincoln Beach. As soon as you can put together an outline for your schemes let us know.
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[L-D-R]

You guys eat the fish out of utah lake ?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Yep. Have been for several decades. And other than my third eye and glowing in the dark it hasn't affected me at all. And there are literally thousands of other folks who regularly dine on fish from that lake...and there have NEVER been any documented cases of illness or worse attributed to eating those fish.
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[#0000FF]Seriously, Utah Lake gets an undeserved bad rap. It is shallow and gets muddied easily, but the overall water quality is better than many of our "clean water" lakes. It was far worse in the past, during the days of Geneva Steel operation. But other than higher levels of PCBs in carp and older-larger catfish, the fish are all rated as safe to eat by our protective agencies.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]For example, if you check this link for [url "https://deq.utah.gov/fish-advisories/waterbody-utah-fish-advisories#utah"]UTAH FISH ADVISORIES[/url] you will see that a lot of Utah lakes have mercury advisories. None for Utah Lake...and that is one of the misinformed arguments I hear all the time about Utah Lake "it's full of mercury". Not so.
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[#0000FF]I'm also attaching a PDF file which contains reprints of several papers from the past on Utah Lake pollution.
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[L-D-R]

Ya I guess all the old washer and dryers amd miscellaneous car parts do make for a great artificial reef kinda reminded me of an artificial mangroves and for some odd reason there is always a sewer smell there
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]How long has it been since you have made a tour around the lake? In the past few years the [url "http://utahlakecommission.org/"]Utah Lake Commission[/url] and Utah County...in conjuction with DWR...has had multiple major cleanup projects. These have included invasive weed and tree eradication, shoreline restoration, etc. The lake is looking much better now.
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[#0000FF]There is still a problem with a trashy element who seems determined to "mark their territory" with trash on every visit. But thankfully there are also more people who always carry garbage bags and make an effort to clean up after the slobs.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The sewer smell is not from sewage. Today the only wastewater that enters the lake is properly treated to remove solids and most harmful chemicals. Still a problem with phosphorus and that is a major cause of the big algae blooms. And the decaying algae along the shorelines contributes to the occasional odoriferous enjoyments. But if you get close to one of the actual treatment plants...like the one near American Fork Harbor...the stench you smell WILL be sewage. But it does not get into the lake untreated. [/#0000FF]
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[RockyRaab]

You can't change rumor-based myths with facts.

That's why I'm trying to start the rumor that Willard causes horrible skin rashes - especially for skiers.
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[MSM1970]

The way I made it up is its a state wide epidemic that big waves cause cancer and lack of common sense.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Don't forget those giant mutant catfish that think water skiers are simply delectable morsels being trolled at just the right speed.
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[L-D-R]

Lol ... I'm sure we could all do with out the constant wave action

But to answer your question it had been years . I live close to Idaho and for me it's easier faster and cheaper to fish Idaho and better fishing and hinting and about 1000x less people and trash around the lakes and streams and rivers . I guess I just have a idea I'm my head of what a body of water should look like . And when I fish utah it makes me sick to see how people treat such a beautiful place . Years ago I tries to organize a clean up party on pineview between my son and I and one other guy we picked up 36 bags of trash big bags and that was only picking up 300 yards of shore line

If I remember right.. and I'm sure some one will correct me but I remember yuba being shut down to the public cause of trash and the way people were treating the place . And there was talk of shuting pineview down do to all the trash being left in and around the resavor
In all my years of fishing Idaho I have never heard of a place being closed to the public do to trash. I could be wrong .

Sorry for the rant but that is one reason I have a bad taste for utah when you catch more trash then fish something is

I do appreciate the effort of you guys taking a pro active stance and doing something about it keep up the good work .
And yes today I'm feeling passive aggressive 😁
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[catchinon]

See my "exciting news" thread. We for sure want to include some fishin and feastin. Do you know anything about filletin and fixin catfish? []
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[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]Hope I don't come across as some kind of wacko who doesn't fish anywhere else and is overly protective of that "Golden Pond". But it is the first place I fished in Utah...back in the early 1960s. It was a lot nicer then but already suffering the ravages of Geneva Steel.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have watched the degradation of Utah Lake over the years...both due to invasive plant species and the rampant trashing of all public access spots...especially the free ones. I have been somewhat encouraged by the efforts in recent times to help restore the lake to a semblance of beauty and to increase both water quality and public enjoyment.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You are right. There are a lot of places in Utah that are badly abused by a class of people who care little for the rights or preferences of others. Seemingly they bring all of the trash they would normally put out in dumpsters for pickup and then dump it wherever they go fishing and/or camping...just to mark their spot. I WAS HERE.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Large areas of Lincoln Point have been closed to the public for several years because of this. But now that Utah County owns the property and has plans to improve it and then closely monitor it that area should be more aesthetically appealing to all.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of my favorite fishing areas...The Knolls...has also been largely off limits to the public since about 2013...again because of trashing. Several of us on this site organized Saturday cleanup crews who bagged up everything they could find and hauled it off to landfill. Unfortunately, in many cases the whole area looked like it had never been cleaned up by the following Saturday.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here is a writeup plus some other pictures that highlight (lowlight) the problem.
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[TubeDude]

[quote catchinon]See my "exciting news" thread. We for sure want to include some fishin and feastin. Do you know anything about filletin and fixin catfish? [][/quote]

[#0000FF]Maybe a little bit.[/#0000FF]
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[catchinon]

Every time you show us something like that it makes my mouth water and I begin to yearn for at least one little kitty. Now if I could only coax one up on top of the ice...
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[Tin-Can]

Aww now Craig, I find it hard to believe you are a BFT moderator, and a Catfish Contest participant and you don't know how to fix a Cat for eatin? I would rather filet and cook and eat a nice Channel Cat than almost any other fish in this state, except maybe a Walleye, and Wiper coming in 3rd. And I must strongly vote with TD on the health and safety of UL Cats for eating. Not been eating them as long as he has (maybe that's why I don't look as old as he does [sly] ) But have never had any affect other than a nice comfort food snooze from them. [fishin]
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