Camping group makes bi-annual trip to lake
By TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake reporter
We had a big camping group this weekend, The Cardinals, all fifth-wheel Cardinal campers, come here twice a year. They used the hall several mornings and evenings for visiting and eating. They even brought us a steak for our Saturday evening supper and it was great. Most of them will head out for the south shortly, then will return next spring.
The butterflies are flying and I don't have my stickers yet! I keep calling them and they keep telling me they are in the mail. If I don't get them soon, all will be gone. I almost got out last year's, but they tell me not to do that. If any of you get a big bunch of Monarchs on your trees or flowers, let me know and I'll come and tag some. You can even help.
We had a few campers out around the lake and lots of fishermen this weekend, but the fish didn't cooperate too well.
We had two bass clubs out on Sunday. One club was in little boats and the other was in bigger bass boats. But neither reported doing too well in the bass category. The biggest one we heard about was 14 1/2 inches long.
Several channel cat were caught around the lake and off the heated dock. The crappie are starting to bite a little better off of the dock now. Maybe the cooler weather will help.
We had a lot of minnows left over from last weekend, so we didn't order any more for this week. Wouldn't you know we ran out. Never can guess right.
Do you have those little black bugs at your house that bite like tigers? I tried to sit out on the patio Saturday and Sunday and they like to ate me up, so I got mad and went inside. It finally gets cool enough to enjoy sitting outside and those things bite you to pieces. Whatever they are, I don't like them. You can hardly see them, but you sure can feel them.
I suppose you read the article in the papers and saw on TV about the Zebra Mussels found in El Dorado Lake. That is going to be a major problem in years to come.
Dale talked to our biologist and he said they had checked Marion Reservoir and hadn't found any there yet, but they are continuing to look and will be doing a spot check here sometime this fall.
The trouble is they can be transported so easily and you can't keep people from coming from an infected lake.
They were introduced into the Great Lakes in 1986, coming in ships' ballast water and have quickly spread into 20 eastern states. One female can release up to one million eggs each season, so transporting just one zebra mussel can spell trouble for all lakes and rivers.
"The 100th Meridian Initiative" has been formed and it includes state and federal agencies, private industries, and user groups to prevent the spread further west.
Voluntary boat checks are available in the six states that straddle the 100th Meridian. These include Manitoba Canada, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
These things can damage boat engines, clog power plant and public water intake pipes, and can become heavy enough to sink docks. For more information go to web site, http:/ANSTaskForce.gov.
