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Feb. 28, 2001
Vol. 31, No. 57
For additional information, contact Cathy Martin, Division of Fish
and Wildlife, 302-653-2882; or Melinda Carl, Information and Education,
302-739-4506
Drawdown at Becks Pond to End This Week;
Boat Ramp Repairs to Continue
The water level at Becks Pond will continue to be approximately five
feet below normal while the Division of Fish and Wildlife completes
a drawdown this week that began in January. No fishing is allowed while
the water level is down, due to increased vulnerability of the fish.
Repairs to the boat ramp are also being made, following an inspection
of the facility during the drawdown.
The drawdown has been conducted to replace worn dam boards that affect
the ability to maintain normal water level due to excessive leakage
between boards. Also, because the installation of new boards necessitates
a drop in water level, the Division decided to prolong the drawndown
period to improve water quality. Exposure of the pond bottom around
the pond perimeter will allow some consolidation of sediments, which
should lessen the muddiness of the water following storm events.
The drawdown also exposed trash, primarily litter barrels and newspaper
coin boxes, which New Castle County's Special Services Department has
removed. Becks Pond is owned by the State Division of Fish and Wildlife
and leased to New Castle County to provide recreational opportunities.
Though no fishing has been permitted during the drawdown, savvy anglers
may want to look over exposed fish habitat and make plans for this spring.
The boards should be replaced during the first week of March and the
pond will refill during spring.
A Becks Pond Work Group, spearheaded by Fish and Wildlife, has been
investigating pond issues since last February. A variety of state agencies,
including DNREC's Divisions of Soil and Water Conservation and Water
Resources, the Division of Public Health, New Castle County, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service,
interested anglers and local residents have been drawn together to work
on the pond. The work group hopes to develop an action plan for the
pond to improve water quality and provide a variety of recreational
activities.
"Becks is the second most-heavily fished pond in Delaware so it
is an important area," says Catherine Martin, Fish and Wildlife
Fisheries biologist. "We feel that the range of expertise in the
group will provide the best chance of improving this popular pond."
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