| Entry ID | 485 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends of Reservoirs Member/Group Sponsoring the Project | Cambria County Conservation District | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Leader Contact Information | Mark Stockley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Phone | (814) 472-2120 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Address | 401 Candlelight Drive, Suite 229 Ebensburg, Pennsylvania 15931 Map It | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reservoir Name | Wilmore Lake | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Google Maps Location | google.com | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the project objective(s). | The Cambria County Conservation District would like to partner with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to construct artificial habitat improvement projects at the lake. The objective is to restart the annual habitat project which will provide artificial habitat structures to the lake. These structures will provide critical habitat at the lake which will help improve local fish population | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Please describe the project methods. Will the product be used in conjunction with existing habitat restoration efforts on the reservoir? Will the product supplement natural brush, rock, or other materials being added to the reservoir? | This project will be a typical habitat improvement projected completed by PFBC. PFBC will provide the safety gear, funding, technical expertise, and equipment. The Conservation District will publicize the project, gather volunteers, and assist with funding. The project will have a build day in which everyone will get together and build these structures according to PFBC design and spec's. The structures will then be placed by PFBC boats. All sites will be recorded on the habitat improvement map and will be shared with local anglers. o 40 Rock Rubble Humps, 20 Porcupine Cribs, 40 short vertical planks, 5 felled trees, & 40 ton of rock along shoreline. o Utilized excavator to place rock along shoreline and have the PA Fish & Boat Commission rubble barge to place rock rubble humps, and coordinate efforts to build and place porcupine cribs and short vertical planks. o Short Vertical Planks - with brush or conifers added to the interior, are a complex habitat that creates overhead cover for ambush, hunt and flush foraging by black bass, as well as refuge habitat for panfish. “Shorties” also provide excellent early season adult panfish cover, when coarse brush is added to the structure. o Felled Shoreline Trees - Game and panfish use submerged trees in a variety of ways. Spawning, recruitment, foraging and refuge tasks are accomplished by many species and age-classes using felled trees. o Rock Rubble Humps - provide forage-type habitats for a variety of aquatic insects, crustaceans and baitfish. Rubble humps may also act as fish attractors for walleye, black bass and panfish, due to natural colonization by various types of aquatic insects. Fish use depends on location, hump or reef size and stone size diversity. o Shoreline Stabilization – utilized large stone to stabilized shoreline from erosion to reduce sediment loading into the reservoir. This stone if placed as sawtooth deflectors or rock framed deflectors can also provided habitat for a large segment of aquatic and fish resources. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Will state fish and wildlife agency staff be directly involved in the project? How so (planning, site selection, participation in installation)? Is there an associated lake or habitat management plan that states the need for structural habitat enhancement? | This project will help complete the existing PFBC habitat management plan at the lake. This is a cooperative effort between the Cambria County Conservation District, PA Fish and Boat Commission, Cambria Somerset Water Authority, americorp, and Local sportsman's groups. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| List the species that the project is expected to benefit: | This will specifically help bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, and catfish at the lake. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| How do you plan to conduct outreach and advertise the project? (Examples: on-site signage, press releases, websites, message boards) | This project is usually posted in the local newspaper. It will also be highlighted by PFBC media platform through facebook and newsletters. The Conservation District will also published in the local papers with news releases and post on their Social Media platform. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Upload at least one letter of support from a representative of the state fish and wildlife management agency: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Partnership and Budget | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Does the project involve one or more youth groups? | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Please list all partners involved in the project: |
|
Small Grant Review