Walleyes take advantage of low water level in Fresno

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information provided by the Fresno Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited about the order in which the phases of work will be done.

Havre Daily News staff

With water levels at Fresno Reservoir at their lowest level in some 15 years cutting into fishing and recreation at the site west of Havre, the Fresno Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited are taking advantage of the situation.

Chuck Wimmer, treasurer of the Fresno Chapter, said when the water levels dropped, Walleyes members saw that the main boat ramp was in bad shape.

"It's going to get worse if we don't do anything to correct it," he added.

The Bureau of Reclamation that administers the dam and reservoir actually owns the ramp, but Walleyes will do the work to repair the problem, Wimmer said.

"We're just trying to get this ramp fixed so people can utilize it for many years to come," he said.

Wimmer said wave action has washed the ground, silt and sand out from under the ramp, essentially creating tunnels underneath it.

That caused part of the ramp to drop, creating a lip on the surface.

"You just can't back boats down there," Wimmer said.

He said the Fresno Chapter plans to do $40,000 or more worth of work in the next few years, depending on how much money the nonprofit can get together for the project.

He said Garbage Inc. will be doing most of the upcoming work, with Patrick Construction also helping on the job.

The first phase will be to cut a hole in the ramp to put slurry underneath it, to shore up the ramp so it will not drop more and to allow equipment to drive on the ramp without damaging it for the next phase.

The second phase will include repairing the lip caused by the drop in one section of the ramp.

"We're going to cut that back, smooth it out, so when a trailer comes up against it it's not a drop, it's a nice slope," Wimmer said.

The second phase also will include putting some boulders and doing some concrete work on the sides of the ramp to keep waves from washing out the ground underneath it in the future, Wimmer said.

The third phase is a longer-range project, he said, with plans to widen the ramp with the intent to get it to where two boats could use it at once.

He added that if the Fresno Chapter can raise enough money, it would like to widen the ramp at Kremlin Bay as well.

Those projects also depend on BOR issuing permits to allow the widening as well as having the water level low enough to do the work, Wimmer said.

He said these kind of projects are exactly why the Fresno Chapter raises funds, with its primary fundraiser the annual Walleye Banquet.

He said BOR is going to help, and the Fresno Chapter is reaching out to its sister chapters to see if they also can help.

Wimmer said if people want more information on the project, they can call him at 262-4332 or Fresno Chapter President Nate Molstad at 230-0342.

Fresno - and the ramp - are a major player in recreation and fishing in the state, he said.

"That ramp is used tremendously by recreationists and for fishing," he said.

He said finding the problem has been one benefit from the drop in the water level. The damage wasn't visible when it was underwater, Wimmer said. He added that even if it was visible there wouldn't be a way for the Fresno Chapter to fix it, and now that the water has droped, the chapter has to act promptly.

"Something good came out of (the low water levels,) we're able to repair the ramp a little bit," he said.