Fisheries Biologist - Darcy Cashatt
Fisheries Technician - Lewis Bruce
Cold Springs Fish Research Station
57744 Lewis Road
Lewis, IA 51544-5103
Man-made lakes research provides fishery managers the tools they need to manage small public lakes for the angling public.
Aquatic Plants – Monitoring, Control and Enhancement
As managers of public fishing waters we also want to provide the best fishing possible using a combination of good water quality, balanced fish populations and adequate angler access. Aquatic plants play a part in each of these three aspects. In lakes plants both grow in and sustain clearer water and provide habitat for fish of all sizes. In order to give biologists the most current information available, we have completed a Best Management Practices manual and an identification guide for aquatic plants. This will be used by DNR fishery mangers statewide in sampling, controlling and enhancing lake plant populations. This project has also yielded a Pond Plant Identification Manual intended for private landowners with ponds primarily used for fishing.
Listening to Iowa Lakes; what we can learn from sound
Since introduction hydroacoustics have been used to collect data on fish, bottom type, aquatic vegetation, and just about anything found in the water. Our goal is to use these data to provide high quality maps for Iowa’s anglers and information lake managers need to improve fishing. Some of Iowas lakes have been surveyed over the last 10 years using hydroacoustic equipment and maps are available at www.iowadnr.gov. The new maps are easier to read than the original maps created in the 1970’s and 1980’s.