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April 2 Meeting

Fish Kill

The ice is out on our lakes and our worst fears were confirmed ? a major
winter kill of all fish species in Lake Prestbury. PFC members monitoring
the situation reported that we lost over 150 largemouth bass in the 15" ?
22" size range, along with scores of crappie, blue gill and catfish.
Initial reports from the PCA cleanup effort indicate that more than 4,000
lbs. of dead fish were removed from the lake.

Club members also conducted three sonar sweeps of the lake following
ice-out and located only random fish sightings ? well below historical levels. It
appears that the combined kill of sport fish and forage base (shad) has
been a devastating blow to the near-term viability of Lake Prestbury as a quality
fishery.

What Caused It?

Residents interested in learning more about why our lakes are so
susceptible to winter fish kills can call Steve Keierleber for a reprint of research by
Leo Rock, fishery biologist with the Department of Conservation. This
informative article discusses the fragile biological and chemical balances
necessary to sustain aquatic life and the resulting impact when those
balances are disrupted. The state has also posted a Fisheries Information
Alert which talks about winter fish kills and restocking. View it on-line
at http://dnr.state.il.us/fish/fishkill.htm

Restocking

Based on the severity of the winter kill-off, PFC has begun plans for a
major restocking initiative on our community lakes. We have identified
hatcheries which can provide healthy sport and forage fish and have
received initial approval from PCA to begin a restocking program.

An initial commitment of $200 from PFC was matched by the Turtle Cove
Homeowners Association; however, based on research and recommendations from
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, it was decided to delay an
aggressive restocking program until an accurate census of the types and
numbers of surviving fish populations could be performed.

Suppliers of this service are being contacted to determine scheduling and
costs, and we hope to have this information available to present to the PCA
board at the April 9 meeting.

Shoreline Cleanup

Plans were made to hold a shoreline cleanup on Saturday, April 21. PFC
members will be working from boats and walking the shoreline to remove
the trash which accumulated over this past winter. If you are interested in
volunteering a couple of hours to help in this effort, we will be organizing
crews beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the gazebo in Turtle Cove east court. Lake
Prestbury and Blackberry Lake will be our first priorities; if we have
enough help, Beta Lake will be cleaned up that day, as well.

Show Your Support/Voice Your Concerns

The PCA board has been very supportive of our plans for community
education,
lake improvement volunteer programs, youth fishing activities and fishery
enhancement initiatives. But whatever your interest ? lakeshore aesthetics,
recreational boating, flood plane concerns, improved lakeside amenities,
wildlife management/control or fishing ? our lakes are a valuable resource
for the entire community. PFC encourages all interested residents to attend
PCA monthly meetings and actively participate in the discussions and
decisions that will directly impact the future of our lakes.

Upcoming Meetings

The Prestbury Fishing Club will be meeting bi-monthly as we plan and begin
to implement programs to restore our fisheries. Additional activities will
be announced on the Prestbury website and in future issues of the Prestbury
newsletter. The next regularly scheduled PFC meeting will be held:

April 16 7:30 p.m. at the PCA office