Lake Irwin aeration on meeting agenda
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2025 (290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Neepawa Wildlife Association is inviting area residents and local fishers to attend a public meeting tonight to discuss future initiatives for Lake Irwin, located south of Neepawa.
Attendees will be able to hear and speak with regional fisheries biologist Brody Kitch, who was instrumental in operating the province’s walleye stocking program in western Manitoba last year.
“We’re going to have some provincial staff, fisheries biologists and a conservation officer in attendance, and essentially be reviewing the success of the lake’s new aeration system,” said member Ben Filipchuk.
Two years ago, the lake’s aging aeration system broke down and the Neepawa Wildlife Association was able to secure funding through various grants to establish a new system, which has been up and running for about a year.
The meeting will look to review the success of the new system, and look at the potential for improvements and water testing down the road. Those in attendance will also be welcome to make suggestions or recommendations for improvements to the program.
The new aeration system is operated by the Neepawa Wildlife Association through the winter and summer months, and Filipchuk says, anecdotally, there has been a notable improvement in water clarity.
“We can’t say for 100 per cent certainty, but fishermen have noticed some pretty dramatic differences with the water clarity this winter,” Filipchuk said. “Guys are using underwater cameras, and they’re able to see a lot better than any other of the past years, so it seems to be doing its thing.”
The original aeration system had been installed several years earlier due to a lack of oxygen in the lake, and the body was experiencing significant die off in the pike populations as a result. The upgraded system has been put in place, while the association has been busy with restocking efforts of northern pike in recent years.
Filipchuk says there has been some appetite to changing some of the limits to the local fishery, and there have been other questions regarding the potential of improving the spawning habitat for other fish species as well, and the overall health of the natural habitat.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Boston Pizza in Neepawa. While open to the public, there is limited seating available, so attendees are asked to send a Facebook message to the Neepawa Wildlife Association page to reserve a seat.
» mgoerzen@brandonsun.com
» Bluesky: @mattgoerzen.bsky.social