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Jerry Kane
Public Information Officer | jerry.kane@nebraska.gov
| 402.471.5008
Public Invited to Open House at Burchard Lake
LINCOLN – The public is invited to an open house to see the new aquatic habitat and fishing access improvements at Burchard Lake. The event is set for Aug. 21 from 5-7 p.m. at Burchard Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
The event will be held at the boat ramp on the north side of the lake. Staff from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will be on hand to answer questions. Families are invited to bring their fishing poles, but some poles and bait will be available for those who have none.
An aquatic habitat rehabilitation project completed at Burchard in 2013 required an 11-foot drawdown of the lake to repair the outlet structure. Enough water remained in the reservoir during the project to maintain the high-quality fishery, but since completion, water levels were slow to return to full pool. Because the watershed is almost entirely grass, the lake filled slowly. That grass watershed also maintains the excellent water quality and habitat responsible for the superb fishery in Burchard. The 150-acre reservoir provides excellent fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and crappie.
Other improvements made during the rehabilitation project include a new boat launch facility, shoreline angler access and installation of a handicap-accessible fishing pier. Offshore breakwaters were placed to protect shorelines, and a sediment retention basin was added on the reservoir’s north arm. Aquatic habitat was enhanced by deepening areas near new breakwaters and by placing underwater rock shoals and cedar tree fish attractors along areas popular with anglers.
The state-threatened snake species massasauga was minimally impacted during the project. A shift in hibernacula (a creature’s shelter) was observed during the lake’s drawdown, but minimal habitat loss was experienced, and the species will now benefit from higher and stable water levels because of the repaired outlet structure and the addition of the north arm sediment basin.
The $1.9 million project was funded by Game and Parks’ Aquatic Habitat Fund and Game Cash Fund, as well as grants from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Sport Fish Restoration Angler Access and Sport Fish Restoration Boating Access.
Burchard WMA is located 3 miles east and 1¼ miles north of Burchard, Neb., in Pawnee County.
Read the 2015 Fishing Guide for information on special regulations at Burchard. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for more information on fishing in Nebraska or to purchase a fishing permit.
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Amended Regulation Concerns Baiting and Big Game and Turkey
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in July amended wildlife regulations regarding baiting for the purpose of hunting big game and turkey.
The regulation changes are meant to make the longstanding big game and turkey baiting prohibition more understandable for hunters and more enforceable for law enforcement officers.
The amended regulation states that a baited area may not be established from 10 days before the opening of any big game or turkey season and throughout those entire seasons for the purposes of taking big game or turkey. An area within 200 yards of bait is considered baited for 10 days following the removal of all bait. To be legal, both the hunter and the animal must be outside a baited area. For the 2015 fall/winter hunting season, the baiting prohibition period is Aug. 5, 2015-Jan. 31, 2016.
In Nebraska, deer, antelope, elk, bighorn sheep and mountain lion are classified as big game species.
Baiting for big game and turkey concentrates animal activity in a very small area, increasing the risk of transmitting disease. Baiting also can adversely impact other people’s wildlife management and hunting opportunities.
To read a list of frequently asked questions regarding this baiting regulation, visit OutdoorNebraska.org, and then click on Hunting. Other updates have been made to the website to reflect the new language, including the 2015 Big Game Guide and regulation summaries for big game species and turkey.
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Algae Alert Extended at Willow Creek Lake
LINCOLN – A health alert has been extended for Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County after high levels of blue-green algae were detected at the lake earlier this week.
High levels of the algae were first detected last week, and a health alert was implemented at the lake. The health alert will remain in effect for at least two weeks.
It is recommended that visitors to the lake, located on Willow Creek State Recreation Area, avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are not affected by the alert.
Additionally, Cunningham Lake in Douglas County and Holmes Lake in Lancaster County tested high for E. coli bacteria earlier this week. Neither lake is closed to any activities, but visitors are encouraged to use caution when engaging in fully body contact activities.
Updated lake algae and bacteria levels are posted each week at deq.ne.gov.
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