Contact(s): Dave Vetrano, DNR fisheries supervisor, La Crosse, 608-785-9009
LA CROSSE – Jersey Valley Lake, about one tenth of its original size because of a drawdown, will be closed to fishing until further notice, the state Department of Natural Resources announced Monday.
The 56-acre lake was created in the 1960s when a dam was built near the headwaters of the West Fork of the Kickapoo River in Vernon County. The closure is designed to protect remaining fish stocks for the restoration of game fish populations after the lake is refilled in 2009.
In a county rich with flowing water but lacking in lake resources, Jersey Valley had become a popular fishing destination for local residents. But in March 2005 there was a major fish kill when rain washed recently applied liquid manure from frozen farm fields into the lake.
Thousands of large bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and yellow perch were killed.
In the meantime, DNR engineers had been monitoring the dam because water was leaking through a supporting rock wall. At first dam experts were unsure if the leakage came from the lake or from natural groundwater. After the manure spill, the answer became obvious as the water leaking from the rocks looked and smelled like the manure-tainted lake. Dam safety engineers ordered a drawdown.
County officials explored options from removing the dam to repairing it and eventually obtained funding to fully restore the lake, with final repairs scheduled for 2009.
A small, 5-acre pool has remained since the lake was drained, and it contains the surviving game fish. Anglers, especially ice fishermen, have been fishing it intensely. Now that full lake restoration has been ordered, the remaining “brood stock” has become critical to recovery efforts.
An official notice is being prepared. The closure becomes effective once it is published.
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