Eaton working to revitalize park, stocking Crystal Lake

0

EATON — The City of Eaton is working to upgrade Crystal Lake, including revitalization of the park surrounding it stocking of the lake with fish.

According to City Manager Brad Collins, in 2020, city crews finished dredging and cleaning the lake, as well as work on the lake’s dam.

Collins said the city is working in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to get the lake restocked.

“My understanding is years ago they had some good fishing down here, so it’ll take a while to have everything mature, but hopefully we’ll have a nice fishing pond down here again,” he added.

Channel catfish were recently stocked, and in May, according to Collins, bluegill and bass will be stocked.

“Plus, we’ll also have fish washing in from upstream, too,” Collins said. “So hopefully we’ll have some decent-sized fish.”

Revitalizing and cleaning the surrounding park area to make it more usable for the public is another goal. “We’ve been spending some time trying to make it a little better and more usable for everyone,” he added.

Basic ODNR state fishing regulations do apply at the lake, with fishing licenses needed for anyone 16 and older. Information regarding fishing licenses is available at OhioDNR.gov.

Collins also noted the city has received multiple complaints about geese at the park.

“We’ve also had some discussion on the geese overpopulation,” he said. “We’ve gotten some complaints about that so we’re doing what we can to help get some public information out about reducing the amount of geese activity and an ordinance about not feeding the waterfowl.

“The City has received some concerns regarding the abundance of geese at Crystal Lake,” Collins added. “ODNR has recommended that one of the first steps would be to end the feeding of the geese. As long as there is substantial feeding from the public, the numbers of geese will continue to increase. We have recently posted signs and passed an Ordinance to prohibit the feeding of waterfowl. Issues that we see include destruction and damage of turf, excessive droppings leading to pollution on the ground and in the water, overcrowding, and at times they can be aggressive. Feeding leads to unnatural behavior, can delay migration, and can lead to poor nutrition and disease. We are hoping over time we can reduce some of these issues so the park can be better used and enjoyed.”

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/03/web1_cl1.jpgEddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/03/web1_cl2.jpgEddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/03/web1_cl3.jpgEddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald

An ODNR Wildlife Officer begins the restocking of fish in Crystal Lake.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/03/web1_cl4.jpgAn ODNR Wildlife Officer begins the restocking of fish in Crystal Lake. Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/03/web1_cl5.jpgEddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

[email protected]

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 of follow on Twitter @emowenjr

No posts to display