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[#0000FF][cool]There are a lot of things going on with the muddy pond west of Provo. Many folks are not aware that there is a Utah Lake Commission...with a website...that has been actively involved in both improving the environment and recreational potential on the lake. They work closely with the DWR office in Springville. And I stay in touch with both of them.
I just got a copy of an email from Reed Harris, Director of the Commission, sent to Chris Crockett of DWR. Chris asked if I would post it on BFT to solicit input from our members. Here 'tis.
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All Lake Users
I’m contacting you because the Utah Lake Commission is going through a process to identify a wish list for Utah Lake, and as a lake user, I’d love to hear what could make your experience at the lake more enjoyable. We are currently looking at improving existing legal lake access points as well as to identify areas where new access to the lake would be desired at some point in the future. Once compiled, we’ll have a good resource to seek long-term funding to make the wish list a reality.
As a lake user, I thought I’d reach out to you to see if you would help me determine what your wish list would be. [url "http://utahlake.gov/what-is-your-wish-list-for-utah-lake/"]This link on our website[/url] spells out what we are trying to do and provides links to a couple of documents that list the objectives we are trying to accomplish. If you could let me know what your wish list for the lake is, I’d appreciate it.
Thanks for your help
Reed S. Price, Executive Director
51 South University Ave, Suite 109
Provo, UT 84601
Office: (801)851-2900
Fax: (801)851-2903
Email: [url "mailto:rprice@utahlakecommission.org"]rprice@utahlakecommission.org[/url]
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Access is an issue as you know. I dont know if any progress has been made on opening the knolls area back up, possibly as a fee area. I know there are discussions on access to both the L in lincoln beach area and the knolls . Better enforcement of both fishing and littering laws would also be helpful but I know there arent enough officers to go around. The 2 single biggest issues I have had are those of access and those of the people that trash the place and in general make an uncomfortable environment for other fishing folk. I imagine that these are the most common concerns.
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Ya more access to the lake would be amazing. I would like to roam around more in Utah lake even spots closer to my house.
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I'd like to see some access again at the out flow of the water treatment plant in PG. That was always a great place to fish but with a way to get there from the lake you are out of luck.
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Some of my suggestions:
AF Harbor:
The exit through the park gate needs a re-design. The turn is too steep for many rigs causing unnecessary traffic problems. The road leading to the park needs to be widened, or shouldered, or at the very least it needs posted as "no parking" (This is an AF issue more than a park issue, but it greatly affects the experience). There is not enough room on the road for two passing boats AND parked cars.
The harbor itself could use more parking space -- although where that would come from is a problem perhaps without an answer.
Lindon Harbor.
Lindon, in my opinion, is an untapped wealth of potential that right now looks like it was taken from East Berlin with all the barb-wire and rock walls. When the construction is finished around the entrance, improving the "look and feel" of the Lindon facility would go a long way to improving the "rep" of the lake.
Shore fishing trash police.
I rarely admit I fish from shore because far too many of us leave the shoreline a complete mess. I know patrolling the entire lake is impractical, but one would think that at least in the harbors (where resources are constantly present) we could more liberally cite polluters.
The UL Harbor breaks are great fish habitat when wet. And unfortunately great RAT habitat when dry.
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I think the Pelican Point area could make a great recreational area. There is a nice gravelly beach on the north side of the point and a potentially great boat launch site just to the north of the point where there appears to have been a gravel pit in the past.
Continued efforts to rid the shorelines of that cussed phragmites in public access areas will be a great help also.
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I dont want to hijack your thread but i have a question about the fish in Utah Lake. Are they safe to eat? I read somewhere where provo city dumped raw sewage into the lake up until 1964. I like to fish the lake but am hesistant on bringing home any fish to eat. I have a catfish recipe that is amazing and where UL is close i would like to utilize the recipe more.
Thanks
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I've been eating them for 15 yrs. & ol TubeDude for longer than that. Neither of us glow in the dark. Been told that TubeDude can get to actin' kinda wierd sometimes but also been told I'm that way most of the time. Eat 'em & enjoy 'em.
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"Access is an issue as you know. I dont know if any progress has been made on opening the knolls area back up, possibly as a fee area."
[#0000FF][cool]Those of us who enjoy fishing the Knolls have been distressed to find that it is currently off limits to the public. The LDS church and other private land owners in the area finally had enough of the trash and the irresponsible shooters on their property and posted it against all users. Another loss to the public due to the actions of others.
The good news is that DWR and the Utah Lake Commission...along with myself and a few other Utah Lake lovers...are working with the land owners and the Utah County commissioners to try to work out an equitable solution for all.
At some time in the hopefully near future there will be an open meeting arranged for sportsmen to address the officials and land owners to voice their opinions and hear what the real issues are. I will post that info as soon as it is set.
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[cool][#0000FF]AFBH definitely has access and parking problems. It used to was just a small harbor with little use but it is now in the middle of a big housing and commercial development area. What was once adequate is now a bottleneck. Part of the problem is limited ability to expand either the access road or entry...due to the American River on one side and Utah Lake and farm land on the other. And there is literally no possible space for additional parking. All of the land to the north and east are the property of the private club.
Lindon Harbor is similar to AFBH in that it used to be just a shallow mudhole with no ramps and docks. Sometimes you could launch larger craft at "high tide" but often it was only useable by small boats and cartoppers. It has grown a lot, both in numbers of users and in facilities. Infinitely better now than in the past. And there are plans to keep adding and improving. Money is the key. It is a private enterprise and revenue is necessary to make new stuff happen.
Rats and trashers? Feed one to the other and you will solve at least half the problem.
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FYI - AF harbor is having some work done on the gate area !! They are putting in a new access point and wash off area. The design is supposed to free up access in and out and reduce back ups in the parking area.
There are some access points on both east and west sides of the lake that have been open over the years, but now are shut down for a variety of reasons. Anything to open it up would be nice !!
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[quote isda]I dont want to hijack your thread but i have a question about the fish in Utah Lake. Are they safe to eat? I read somewhere where provo city dumped raw sewage into the lake up until 1964. I like to fish the lake but am hesistant on bringing home any fish to eat. I have a catfish recipe that is amazing and where UL is close i would like to utilize the recipe more.
Thanks[/quote]
[cool][#0000FF]No hijack at all. A big part of the image problem suffered by UL is the concern over potential contamination. Unfortunately, just because the lake is shallow it is prone to muddying up whenever the wind blows and the lake is at a low enough level to stir up the sediments. And the carp don't help much.
There was a lot of abuse heaped on Utah Lake in years past. Raw sewage, agricultural runoff and industrial waste were all dumped into the lake with no envirocops to monitor it or shut it down. The biggest polluter of all time was Geneva Steel...but it was permanently shut down in 2002.
The good news is that Utah Lake has several fresh water inlets that pour in huge amounts of cleansing water every year...and a lot of what was in the lake flushes downstream in the Jordan River. The lake does not have a hundred feet of accumulated sediment on the bottom...but only a few feet at most that gets regularly stirred and flushed...as new sediments come in from the streams. The bottom is actually hard volcanic rock and is seldom covered by more than a few feet of water above the rock and sediment.
Some folks have the opinion that there are tons of carcinogenic pollutants bubbling up from the ancient sediments. Not so. Utah Lake water and fish are tested regularly and its waters are safer to drink...and the fish safer to eat...than many of our "pristine" mountain lakes and streams. If you want to review the reports on Utah waters [url "http://www.fishadvisories.utah.gov/"]GO HERE[/url]
There IS NO MERCURY problem in Utah Lake. That is the uninformed fear of many folks who shun eating fish from the lake. The cautionary report issued a few years ago was on the presence of PCBs in carp and larger catfish in the lake. All other species were found to be essentially pollution free. And if you only keep smaller cats the PCB levels are far below any condidered danger level. Also, as it mentions in the advisory..."No known PCB related illnesses have been associated with eating fish from Utah Lake."
I have harvested and eaten catfish from Utah Lake since the early 1960s. And I have also caught and eaten cats from many other states in the USA. I am a published author on fish preparation and cooking and might be considered to have a discriminating taste. I will unequivocally state that Utah Lake catfish are some of the best tasting in the country, and that they are much safer to eat than even some of the "farm raised" fish from other parts of the country.
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That makes me feel lots better. Thank you for the information. Gettin kinda excited now, UL is only 10 min from my house and will now be having some fun there when the bass start to spawn and the kitties start to play!
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My sister lives very near the Pelican Point harbor. She's mentioned there are some very big plans not only for it, but for a Saratoga Springs beach park nearby.
I haven't delved into the master plan TD posted yet to see if it is included.
But from what they've told me, Saratoga Springs is very much interested in cultivating use of Utah Lake.
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I have been in contact with Chris Crockett of the DWR and there is progress being made in starting some projects to improve the Knolls area. Towards that end, they are going to be looking for interested anglers that are willing to work with and talk to the County commissioners. There will probably be more details forthcoming on this in the next few weeks.
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[cool][#0000FF]Yeah, things looked pretty bleak at first. A couple of BFTers got chased out of the area by a sheriff who told them that the church (and others) were going to totally fence off the area against all future access. I contacted Chris, who got John Fairchild (DWR) involved and they initiated negotiations. There are a lot of things on the table right now that are being kept under wraps until something more definitive is established. But it does sound more promising than it did last fall.
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[angelic]thank you tubedude for all u do for your fellow fisher man. i for one really appreciate it.
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The Knolls is really my favorite place to launch and fish so losing it was a tough pill to swallow. It is really  to see what happens to that place.
Sadly I fear that only those who follow the law are locked out right now anyway.
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[#0000FF][cool]I appreciate your appreciation.
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[#0000FF][cool] Anybody who reads my reports knows that I too am a Knolls fan. I fish Utah Lake a lot and about half of my trips are to the Knolls.
The only positive spin I can put on the (temporary...I hope) closure is that it will force me to work other spots a bit harder. Maybe I'll even find a couple of new favorite launch sites.
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