Board Meeting Minutes, October 29 2021
Red Rock Lake Association
Board Meeting Minutes,October 29, 2021
Members Present: Gary Waller, Todd Flck, Dave Zabel, Roger McCannon, Leslie
Kruse, Bob Bowden, Marsha Parrish.
1. Carp Removal: Todd had invited Alex Letvin, Glenwood Area Fisheries
Supervisor who joined us for the meeting. Gary gave a short review of the efforts
made over the past 10-12 years to remove carp from the lake. Previously in 2009
and 2010 commercial seining activities, both winter and spring, had resulted in
nearly 100,000 pounds being removed. This led to much improved water
conditions and less algae blooms over the following years. During that time there
was a market for carp consumption and a processing plant in Iowa—now there is
neither. He asked Alex, "is there any way the DNR could help the Association with
removal."
Alex gave a brief history of efforts by DNR Carp Removal Teams throughout the
state during a 20 year period that in the long-and- short-of-it proved to be overall
ineffective, as mature carp were taken out, but juvenal ones just grew back within
a few years. He noted that carp are pretty much present in all our lakes and
stated that currently the DNR is not in a position to help monetarily with carp
removal. Dave asked that if we attempted to do it ourselves are there any "trap"
designs Alex could send us, as we know we'll never remove all the carp, but could
possibly help reduce the numbers each year. He also raised the question if any
efforts could be initiated to develop a facility within the state that could process
the fish for consumption, fertilizer or other uses, thereby creating a new market.
Roger said he would contact the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)
to see about their help. Bob then suggested that we adjourn the meeting and all
go down to the draining ditch to look at the previous grate that was used and to
see if a retrofit of a trap could be reinstalled. Alex said he would do more research
on trap designs and send us any he located, he and said he'd try to help us with
our efforts.
Respectfully submitted by Roger McCannon, Secretary