Lake Maria Update From : Mark Gulick
Date: 03/12/07 13:35:31

We just started the fish barrier and may start the pump once we see how fast snow melt is entering the lake (can we keep up by pumping or are we better to let water gravity flow from Maria to Sarah). We plan to release a local news release updating the public on these activites and to point out that MWA is paying for the electricity for pumping and the barrier. Thanks again to you and MWA for your generous contribution. We are all anxiously awaiting to see what a transformed lake Maria looks like (barring a severe flood year)!

Lake Maria Update From: Mark Gulick
Date: 03/19/07 15:11:16 
 
We drew the lake down last fall (7" of ice maximum depth all winter), and then treated flowing inlets with the fish toxicant Rotenone this past February. Therefore, all fish should be removed from the Maria system. We recently turned on the electric fish  barrier, which seems to be working fine. Once most of the snow-melt water flows from Lake Maria to Sarah, we will put the stop logs back in the structure and begin pumping. We will pump the lake until there is about 18" of water left in the middle. If we can keep the water off of the exposed mudflats (probably about 250 - 300 acres) most of the summer, those mudflats should be covered with cat tail, and in some cases, bulrush. Open water areas should have sago pondweed (great duck food), and the whole works should jettison clean water  into Sarah.