Onota Lake drawdown

[minnow1]

Fellow sportsmen,

Many of you have probably fished Onota Lake.  The city of Pittsfield has drawn the lake down more than double what they normally do.  Normal drawdown is 3 feet and they say its 6 feet this year but it looks like 7-8.  The usual shallow fishing areas are gone, especially in the northern end of the lake.  That area is just exposed mud now.  It really is a disgusting thing.  I guess they are doing it to control weeds and  put in a new pipe at the dam to control the drawdown better.   

An organization made up of mostly lakefront homeowners called LOPA is saying that this is for the good of the lake.  They say it will help kill the weeds in shallow areas and protect their property from ice damage.  The normal drawdown of 3 feet does protect them no problem.  I am concerned about what this is doing to the fish and wildlife in and around the lake.  They say it won't effect anything but the drawdown and the killing of the weeds by chemicals the past two years has effected the quality of fishing, in my opinion.  I can understand that the lakefront homes don't want weeds but there has to be some kind of balance.  Don't kill all the weeds, the fish need them. 

Sportsmen can join the LOPA club for $10.  The more of us that can voice our opinion will maybe help persuade them to understand that a quality fishery should not be messed with in the way the are doing it now.  If you are concerned, check their website and email them.  Also, email the MassWildlife people and the city of Pittsfield.  The more people that do it, the better.

Thanks for listening.

[masshysteria]

Bravo, and a worthy cause! However, be forewarned; some of the lakefront owners on LOPA who are pushing the severe drawdown have the proverbial "friends in high places". A man with some persuasion on LOPA, and an opponent of the drawdown is Tom Daly (Onota Boat Livery). Perhaps he can suggest an avenue of approach, especially since he is in contact with DFW. I drive by the new DFW headquarters in Dalton on my way to Wahconah High School quite often. I'll have to drop in and corner the biologist there, and see what their take is on this?

[masshysteria]

In retrospect, I wonder if the State authority over Onota would be the DCR (Dept. of Conservation and Recreation), and not DFW? I do know the City of Pittsfield has some kind of control/ownership of the lake, so it may be a very confused relationship between all concerned.

[lenz]

hate to say it but you're all screwed. the 'lake association' can do anything they want as long as it is not prohibited by state. draw downs to control weeds are accepted.
the illustrious residents of haavud mass have been drawing down Bare Hill pond now for years. all so that the water skiers are not affected by the weeds..Bare Hill 'used' to be one of the best bass ponds in the state, now the water is brackish and i didn't even catch a bass last year. this year the drawdown is at least 6'. they are destroying the fish population.
and now i read in their latest report that weeds that are not affected by the drawdown are now florishing in those areas.

what a bunch of morons..total unequivocal morons

burp

lenz

[xjma]

Unfortunately the state doesn't care what's best for the fisheries.  They only care about 'people in high places.' 

Who's dam is it??  Dams are regulated as to how much they can draw down, and maybe they're violating rules because of political pressure?? 

Nothing in this state is the way it should be!!  Sorry, I'm just the messenger!  I think it sucks too.

[masshysteria]

Who's dam is it??  Dams are regulated as to how much they can draw down, and maybe they're violating rules because of political pressure?? 

95% sure the City of Pittsfield owns the dam, as I believe at one time Onota was an official back-up water supply for the City

[G.Horne]

Drawing down tha lake to kill the weeds DOES NOT WORK. I lived on Sabbatia in Taunton for three years and they did that and every year surprize, surprize the weeds came back. And if they don't let the water fill up before they start gowing in the spring the weeds will grow deeper because more light will penetrate the deeper areas.

[lenz]

why is it that we all seem to know it doesn't work but these dopes keep trying it??

burp

lenz

[GrizlyGarou]

We have patience, and usually understand that the way that seems to be the easiest ends up being way harder in the long run, Lenz.

There's a pond around here they keep dropping weed killer into to kill the weeds.  I used to go there and catch some nice pickerel, now all you get is 6 or 8 inch ones.  I've heard the larger bass population is dwindling now, too. The winning fish from the derby they do there every winter have been pretty small, too. The water skiers sure do have a nice time in there, though. 

[minnow1]

Drawing down tha lake to kill the weeds DOES NOT WORK. I lived on Sabbatia in Taunton for three years and they did that and every year surprize, surprize the weeds came back. And if they don't let the water fill up before they start gowing in the spring the weeds will grow deeper because more light will penetrate the deeper areas.

Never thought of that.  That makes a lot of sense.  But not to the morons of course.