Nebraskaland

with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A fi shing pier was also installed near the south boat ramp, which was repaired. Danish Alps State Recreation Area: A new ADA-compliant kayak launch was built adjacent to the main boat ramp on Kramper Lake near Hubbard. Hayes Center WMA: A concrete boat ramp was built near the camping area at this lake. Defair Lake WMA: A primitive boat ramp was built on this Sandhills lake near Hyannis. Louisville SRA: Fishing piers were built or improved, fi shing pads added, and parking and sidewalks leading to fi shing piers built in compliance with ADA on Lakes 1, 1a, 2 and 3. Additionally, 150 artifi cial structures, some as tall as 15 feet, were placed in the area's fi ve lakes to provide fi sh habitat. Gallagher Canyon and Midway Canyon SRAs: Concrete boat ramps with ADA-compliant parking and sidewalks will be complete this spring, replacing gravel launches on these CNPPID canal system reservoirs. Lake Maloney SRA: A fi shing pier, retaining wall, benches and an ADA- compliant 1,500-foot sidewalk were built on the south side of the inlet to improve access. The project is similar to one at Johnson Lake SRA. KEA West WMA and Archway Lakes 2, 3 and 4: These Kearney-area borrow pits were renovated in 2020 and are all providing good fi shing for smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and black crappie. West Cozad WMA: This Interstate 80 lake was renovated in 2021 and should be providing good opportunities for largemouth bass and bluegill. Starting in 2025 Windmill SRA: Work will begin in the summer to deepen shallow bottlenecks that cause portions of two lakes to become disconnected when water levels drop in the summer, as well as construction of a fi shing jetty on Lake 2. A fl oating dock will be added to Lake 4. Access will be improved in several more locations on those and other lakes. Fort Robinson State Park: The dam on Soldier Creek that formed Carter P. Johnson Lake — drained in 2023 because it posed a high hazard to the park's campground — will be removed and an extensive stream restoration and access project will begin. Willow Creek SRA: A covered fishing pier will be built on this reservoir near Pierce. Smith Lake WMA: New fishing jetties will be built and areas deepened near the shoreline to improve angler access on this heavily vegetated Sandhills lake south of Rushville. N New Aquatic Habitat Plan Approved The third edition of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Aquatic Habitat Plan, which details work that will be done to improve fishing and access at 71 waters across Nebraska in the coming years, was approved by the agency's Board of Commissioners in January. Since its inception in 1996, the Aquatic Habitat Program has been "providing new life for aging waters" in many ways, including removing sediment and rough fish and reducing shoreline erosion, all of which can make life tough for sport fish. A second plan was approved in 2008 and, in 2010, a companion Angler Access Program plan was launched to improve shoreline and boat access to waters where work was being done. Combined, $112.5 million has been spent on projects in 135 locations using proceeds from the sale of Aquatic Habitat Stamps and matching funds. Projects have been completed at streams, ponds, sandpits and reservoirs around the state. The new plan combines the Aquatic Habitat and Angler Access programs and has four goals: improving aquatic habitat; preventing the spread of harmful organisms; improving angler access; and evaluating the projects to see if there are better ways to do the work. The 71 projects selected were identified by fisheries field staff who best understand the needs of the water bodies they manage and what it would take to improve them. It also includes projects that will benefit all anglers, whether they fish from a boat or the shore, on a stream or large reservoir, or for bass, catfish or trout. To see the projects included in the new plan, go to OutdoorNebraska.gov and search Aquatic Habitat. Game and Parks biologists Zac Brashears and Derrek Schacht use an airboat to apply rotenone to Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area in 2022 to kill common carp and other undesirable fi sh in this Sandhills lake in Holt County. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND March 2025 • Nebraskaland 49

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