INNISFAIL – Town council has given an enthusiastic thumb’s up for at least another year to have Dodd’s Lake stocked with rainbow trout but there remains a nagging concern.
That is the parking issue, which showed alarming signs of congestion at the lake’s small parking lot along the southwest shoreline, which forced many visitors to find one along 56th Street.
The first phase of the Dodd's Lake Enhancement Project has called for a $2.7 million plan to redevelop the town-owned southwest shoreline area, which includes a 32-stall parking lot.
The town was hoping to secure a $750,000 federal grant by the end of 2021, with a hope it could begin construction this year but a federal decision on the grant application has not yet been made.
“The town is aware there were some (parking) issues last year and I think they will look at addressing that the best way possible,” said Town of Innisfail Mayor Jean Barclay last week following council’s Agenda & Priorities meeting on Feb. 22 when the fish stocking issue was presented by the Innisfail Lions Club. “We will see hopefully in the next month or so if we get that (federal grant), and if not, we will have to take into consideration some other ideas to get that (parking) sorted out.”
Barclay added that a solution until the town can afford to build a new parking lot could be to just make the existing one more organized to handle the traffic flow, as was suggested by Coun. Don Harrison. Other councillors, notably Gavin Bates, Jason Heistad and Janice Wing, also weighed in to say the parking issue had to be addressed.
“Let’s wait and see. We are still a ways a way from the fishing season. Let’s see how things work out with the grant,” said Barclay.
As for the Innisfail Lions Club's presentation by Tom Reinhart and Bob McKinnie, council was told the service club needed to get the town’s approval and a letter of support to send to Alberta Environment to move forward with the rainbow trout stocking of Dodd’s Lake for the second season in a row.
Reinhart and McKinnie said the service club also needed council’s approval now because the trout have to be ordered from a regional fish farm to stock the lake in time for the May long weekend.
Council later approved the service club’s plan to purchase 500 rainbow trout to stock Dodd’s Lake this year, a significant increase over the 330 put in last year. Council also agreed to provide the club with the necessary letter of approval.
McKinnie, the club’s treasurer, conceded there was increased traffic at Dodd’s Lake last year due to the fish stocking program but it was well-received by both locals and out-of-town visitors.
He said another concerning issue for some was winter kill of the stocked fish and whether a “big mess” would be left after this year’s spring thaw.
Council was told the club and members of the Innisfail Fish and Game Association will volunteer their services this spring to clean up any winter kill left along the shoreline.
“I expect there will be some winter kill but we have no idea how many fish were actually caught out there, and where the carp came from and how they seem to be surviving. I have no idea,” said McKinnie of the invasive Prussian carp, a relative of goldfish that has been illegally released into various waterbodies in Alberta, and has become predominant in Dodd’s Lake in recent years. “There seems to be thousands of them in there. Folks are pulling them out one after another.
“One time when I was down there a fellow caught a trout, unhooked it, threw it back and kept fishing for carp.”
Harrison, who lives close to the lake’s fishing area, said public comments he heard about the fish stocking program were “all positive," adding angling at Dodd’s Lake has become an important attraction for users of the nearby Anthony Henday Campground.
“The traffic, yes there is a bit of congestion there,” said Harrison, adding there were “chaotic” moments but the placement of a parking strategy sign could help as an interim solution. “I would certainly like to continue with the project. I believe we have created an expectation in the community and it’s a good expectation.”
