Amron Pond Update

On Wednesday August 5th, Mike Phelps, Bob Petzke, Debbie Mann, Larry Price, Jim Kwapil and Tom Arvoy met with Waukesha County DNR Fisheries Biologist Ben Heussner to define the work required to make the Amron pond functional. For new members or those who may not remember the background with the Amron pond, here's a little recap:

• Discussed at the November 2008 Board meeting with Ben Heussner, it was decided that with regard to VHSv and rearing, the Delafield pond would be best to serve as a 'Public Fishing Hole' for the youth and disabled of the region. This concept has been discussed by the Board, and with the DNR's approval, further discussion with the City of Delafield will take place. Ben submitted the proposal for conversion to an urban fishery for vote at the 2010 DNR Spring Hearings. If approved, installation of a pier for better access is a topic for consideration.
• In place of the Delafield pond, our chapter will have a new and better rearing pond. The "Amron Pond" is about a 1/4 acre spring fed pond located in the Vernon Marsh area by Mukwonago. Managing the habitat of the new rearing pond is expected to allow our chapter to stock larger muskies in the spring, and since it is spring fed, it is easier to manage against VHSv than one that is connected to another body of water or stream.

After a tour of the surrounding area and visuals of the pond, Ben stated he would like the pond ready for stocking by the end of September of this year. The DNR would stock 12" fish in early October and our club would be responsible for an appropriate number of feedings until freeze over. The number of fish to stock would depend on how much we have in our budget for food. The maximum fish the pond can support is around 300-400 at the 12" size. To assist our decision, Ben will provide a minnow amount and feeding frequency per 100 fish. No minnow cribs are required this year so all we'd have to buy are the minnows. Additionally, all the fish will have pit-tags for a DNR comparison study, and these fish would be stocked in either Pewaukee or Okauchee Lake.

Now the hard part; to get the pond ready, the DNR would "Like" our Chapter to carry out the following jobs:

• Remove the heavy brush, long grass and a few trees from the area around the pond. The further back the better to keep predator birds from nesting close to the pond. The pond is currently drained down so we can get at the sloped areas. We'll have to use line trimmers, brush cutters and spray with Roundup. There are substantial amounts of brush to be removed so we'll need a lot of help on this effort.
• Water and silt drain into the pond from the northwest corner. Ben indicated the silt needs to be removed and rip-rap installed. This would likely require a backhoe and a source for rip-rap.
• An overflow system with PVC pipe, box & screening needs to be built to prevent muskies from running over the spillway should the pond get too high. Ben has a plan for this similar to the "chimney" built at the Delafield Pond, but he indicated he would also welcome an engineer to assist in the design. Then it would be nice to have a plumber or someone with similar knowledge to build the system. Of course, a couple assistants would also be required. Once the pond is operational, we'd need a volunteer or rotation of volunteers to drive out on a cyclical basis to check the PVC overflow and spillway screens for debris and remove as necessary.
• They also need a road, estimated to be 200 yards, from the end of the existing road around the front of the pond and then to the back side. Ben said the road would double as a fire break, and it would provide access for their vehicles. If one of our members has a construction company and would like to donate their services, we would be grateful. Otherwise, the DNR will have to address this issue.

Our biggest concern is with clearing the area around the pond, and it's probably going to take a few days to complete unless we can muster up a large group of volunteers. Signed waivers will be required because there's no insurance coverage. Ankle support might prove useful with the potholes from animal dens. If you can help on any day, please e-mail your interest, abilities, equipment if possible, and availability to . This e-mail address reaches the stocking committee of Bob Petzke, Larry Price, and Mike Phelps. You can also call the stocking committee members if you don't have e-mail access or prefer contacting them by phone. We'll attempt to coordinate work dates when most can make it.

Stocking & Rearing Committee Members

Name	Address	Phone	e-Mail
Stocking Committee E-mail
Bob Petzke	1605 Dover Drive Waukesha, WI 53186	(c)262-442-6260
Larry Price	507 N. Broad St Elkhorn, WI 53121	262-723-6985 (c)262-949-7863
Mike Phelps	2012 Fieldcrest Lane Waukesha, WI 53186	262-524-0744 (c)414-807-3659