Stream bed manipulation at Bennett Spring
By Bob Randall on Tuesday, December 12th, 2017 in Conservation, Nature, Uncategorized, No Comments
MDC is manipulating the stream bottom to improve habitat/fishing.
There is a hole just where the main hatchery outflow stream enters the spring creek, some anglers call this the “Gut Hole”. It’s about 15′ in diameter and probably 10′ deep. It’s almost like looking into the spring itself. Lots of fish holding and feeding in it. The backhoe has worked its way downstream about 100 more feet but not as deep. Someone said they’re going to go clear down to the Whistle Bridge. I don’t know of other plans.
One of our Springfield chapter members said that they have done this manipulation before at Montauk with good fishing results. It will be interesting to watch the progress physically and as a habitat project (results). I mentioned that it seemed a good idea at Taneycomo. He said he had heard that MDC thinks the unpredictable flow at Taney would make the project a repetitive effort: dig, flood, fill – dig, flood, fill – etc.