Local project makes a difference

By Staff
Kevin Stone
Franklin County Times
In previous columns I've made reference to the Millennium Project without much detail about the project itself.
This week I'm going to provide some information about the history and goals of the project.
In about 1999 a group of anglers became concerned about the declining weights at tournament weigh-ins (specifically the group that fishes Little Bear on Monday nights).
They started looking at data such as tournament results that has been recorded for many years. The records indicated that the number of fish and weights had been declining.
In 1999 Gary Don Fleming, Phillip Cooper and others began making plans for the Millennium Project, and in 2000 the project held its first workday. The main goal of the project is to improve the number and quality of bass in the Bear Creek Lakes.
The project is achieving these goals through the introduction of manmade structures "fish habitat" and native aquatic plants into the lakes. The purpose of the fish habitat is to provide young fish a place to hide until they are big enough to protect themselves.
To date, thousands of stakes, pallets, and cedar trees have been secured to the lake bed representing thousands of man hours of work. The project has also planted hundreds of cypress trees to provide additional cover and protect the shorelines.
The main emphasis of the project has been Trace Branch on Little Bear Lake with plans of focusing on other lakes in the next few years. The project has gained national attention and those informed have been impressed with the scope and size of the project. The project may one day become a model for lakes across the country.
Each year some materials are donated to the project, but most of the expenses come directly from the anglers' pockets. Sources of funding are constantly being sought, and hopefully grant money can be obtained in the near future.
This Saturday, Feb. 9, the Project will hold its annual workday. Many of those participating will meet at CJ's in Belgreen around 7 a.m. and some will meet at the work site, which is where the power line crosses Old Nauvoo Road.
The project needs a large turnout of volunteers to complete the work it has planned. If you are interested in helping, please attend, and if you need more information, please call Gary Don Fleming or me.
We have all taken a lot from our lakes, and this is our opportunity to help give back.
Kevin Stone is branch manager and loan officer at Valley State Bank and can be reached at (256) 332-3600.