Let’s get ready to rrruuuummmmbbbbllllleeee!!!!!!!!!!
It’s time for the LMFRF 2012 One Fly Tournament!! This is a great way to enjoy the LMF fishing and make some new friends! It will happen 2/25/2012 and you can’t miss out on this. Great prizes will be in order and lots of fun!
It is also time for all of us to make sure we are up to date on our dues for the LMFRF memberships. There are multiple benefits to being a member beyond just the knowledge that you are part of the bright future for our fishery. Now we have an offer from a local lodging company to receive 20% off for ALL members of the LMFRF on the cabins they rent!! That is worth the price of the membership alone!! We will be sending that data out with the newsletter that is coming up!!
We hope all of you had a safe, happy New Years Eve celebration. Things are great on the river in Beavers Bend State Park right now and it is a wonderful time to fish there. Lower pressure and fewer crowds will be bonuses for a while if you take the time to go!
As we start 2012 we want to remind everyone that it is time to buy your new 2012 Oklahoma fishing license. Don’t be caught on the river without it, that cold be a costly bummer for you! Below is a link for the out of towners to get their license on line. Once you purchase it you print your license right at home and the system remembers you for the next purchase. It only takes a few minutes and can sure save you on the river!
Could this be a possible future for fishermen in the western US soon? Trout Unlimited has a report that says we may be headed that way soon. Between droughts, invasive species and struggles with government agencies we seem to be fighting harder and harder to have a place to fish.
The next LMFRF meeting is on 10/15//2011 5PM at the Steven’s Gap Pavilion. This is the infamous Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation Fish Fry meeting. We take this opportunity to give back by making you a wonderful fish dinner before meeting as our way of saying Thank You for all that you do for us!!
The fish fry will begin at 5PM and the meeting at 5:30PM. What we need from you is an RSVP count so we can make sure and have enough food ready.
Please RSVP to Linda King @ Three Rivers Fly Shop 580-494-6115 or 3rivers@pine-net.com
We look forward to seeing you there and enjoying a beautiful day of eating fish and some incredible fishing on our beautiful river; see above!!
The next meeting is the Annual Fish Fry meeting at Steven’s Gap Pavilion. You have all done so much to help the Foundation throughout the year now it’s time for us to do this for you. The dinner will start at 5:00PM and the meeting will begin about 5:30PM.
RSVP to Linda King at Three Rivers Fly Shop: 580-494-6115 or 3rivers@pine-net.com.
As many of you know the LMFRF has been working hard for years to get the low flow pipes at the Re-Regulation Dam cleaned out. This has been spearheaded and driven hard by our president Pat Waters. His tireless efforts have paid off and now The Project is a GO!!!!!!
We have received word that the State has approved funding to go forward with this project ASAP after all the timing and arrangements are made. This will bring so many benefits to our river that I am beside myself with excitement over this development!!
From president Patrick Waters: Re Reg Update 6/26/11
This little guy was caught in Lost Creek 5/7/2011 and was released after a picture moment. More spawned fish means better fishing and a healthier river for all of us to enjoy!!!
Happy kids with their prize catch!!!
Broken Bow first and second graders are treated each spring to a fishing field trip. A private pond is stocked with trout purchased by the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. The school brings a busload of kids each morning and afternoon for a week. These students have all showed the necessary ability to be good students, citizens and hard workers at school which qualifies them to participate in this trip. Each student is allowed to keep 3 trout which are cleaned and bagged by the school principal Terry Stricker and a few of the teachers. This event has been on-going since 2000 and is eagerly anticipated by students as their older brothers or sisters tell fishin’ stories of when they got to go. This event is not only enjoyed by the little kids. High school students, who have appropriate grade averages, can opt out of class to work as fishing helpers for the younger students. The little kids really enjoy hanging out with the “big” kids! It truly is an event that is looked forward to by everyone…students AND teachers.
The Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation is proud to help make this event a special occasion for these fine students. Partnering with Jesse and Linda King of Three Rivers Fly Shop to facilitate this event is an honor for the directors and members of the foundation.
Members, Ex-Members, and Friends of the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation,
I’d like to take a few minutes and get everyone up to speed on our work with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Management to maintain and improve the LMFR.
At first glance it would appear that not much has been accomplished towards improving our river over the past three years. And I would to say, that sometimes, even I have a down day and harbor the same feelings. Some of you may ask yourselves why you paid dues and made donations when very little seems to be getting accomplished.
I believe that the short answer to that question is that we have been witness to a “perfect storm” of circumstances and coincidental personnel and situational changes.
I’d like to go into some detail on what has occurred over the last three years:
Three years ago this spring was the first time in nearly 50 years that the Corp found it necessary to open the spillway gates during the spring rainy season. That flooded out the Park for a while and as a result we lost some structure on Spillway creek as well as damage to Lost Creek and the Evening Hole.
The Great Flood of ‘09 where the Corp’s emergency opening of the floodgates scoured Spillway Creek, completely destroyed Lost Creek, changed the river channel, and heavily damaged and changed Evening Hole. We are still recovering from this.
During these events the ODWC lost Paul Balkenbush, their biologist, and James Vincent in streams management left shortly thereafter. This left the ODWC short-handed on personnel to care for our river.
Finally, our national economy tanked causing all government agencies to make funding cuts, personnel changes and layoffs, as well as delay any projects for the foreseeable future. This put many of our projects on hold until funding and manpower could be reestablished.
This brings us to where we now stand:
• The bubble diffuser project, which brings cold water to the turbines during high temperature seasons, is on hold until properly trained personnel are hired by the State.
• The rereg cleanout project is still being discussed in Oklahoma City. We are hoping for funding this year as it was added to the upcoming budget. There were some concerns about the City of Broken Bow and their hydropower project but those fears have been allayed, as that project is years and years away, if it happens at all.
• Lost Creek and the Cold Hole area were completely redesigned and rebuilt with great success.
• We have a new project being discussed along the same lines as other cold-water solutions. That is, to extend a pipe back from Spillway dam into deeper, colder water. This would provide very cold water year-round to the entire river. The idea is also being discussed in OKC and they have actually hired a couple of firms to give a cost analysis on this project.
• The ODWC has hired a new Streams Management man for eastern Oklahoma, Buck Ray. Buck is a nice guy and has already helped start the river back on the road to recovery.
• We have a Vibert Program going for rearing brown trout from eggs.
• This year, as the economy settled and personnel were hired, the LMFR started to get things back in order.
• As some of you may have noticed, all of the structures on Spillway that were lost to the floods have been restored, and a few extra were added that we didn’t have before. This is slowing the flow of Spillway in areas allowing sediment and dirt to filter out providing substrate for trout food to flourish. Dirt was added to the Cold Hole area to cover the river rock and will be seeded later. This will have the dual effect of keeping the banks and water cooler as well as allowing plant life to grow creating habitat for terrestrial trout food.
• There is a bug-moving project getting planned now to reestablish some of the aquatic insects lost during the flood.
• The ODWC is installing boot-washing stations at various egress areas so we can deter the spread of didymo throughout the river system. These will be maintained jointly by the ODWC and the LMFRF.
• We are donating time and money to the Park and the State to get Boy Scout troops to the Park in exchange for trash pickup and removal, we are teaching fly fishing to summer camp kids, and supporting Three Rivers Fly taking the local schoolchildren out for a weekend of trout fishing.
The Park itself has started to get into the action also. Through a matching donation by LMFRF, they are installing a separate radio tower, which will be for emergency response personnel only, and will provide full radio coverage for a 30-mile radius. Park communications, with respect to public safety, has been a great concern and is finally being addressed. They have also secured a grant to build a new Nature Center. Part of this grant includes funds to replace the two wooden footbridges that were lost in the flood.
So, as you can see, things are starting to happen on our river again. The LMFRF has developed wonderful working relationships with the ODWC, Beavers Bend State Park, and the Game Wardens. Plans are not only being made, but they are being implemented. New ideas and improvements are being discussed regularly.
Remember, your dues and donations are matched 3:1 by the Federal Sportfish Restoration Fund. That means your $25 donation becomes $100 of restoration work. 100% of your money goes to restoration work and 100% of your contribution is tax deductible. We thank all of you who are current on your dues and others who have made donations. We encourage all ex-members to renew their membership and new friends to join and help the LMFRF improve our river for everyone.
Join online at our new web site: www.lmfrfoundation.org. Please come to the next meeting on June 25th at 5:00 pm.
I thank you for taking this few minutes to find out what’s happening on your river.
Best Regards,
Patrick Waters
President, LMFRF
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