As some of you may know they are planning on removing what little cover Lake conroe has left and your lake may be next. If you are a fisherman or just a person that cares about wildlife Please sign and send this petition to everyone you know to stop this from happening. We need to send a clear message "quit destroying precious habitat" Thanks

http://www.change.org/petitions/save-lake-conroe

Scooter, some of us don't have a clue as to what you are talking about.

What cover are you talking about, and who is doing this bad deed, and why.

If I knew the facts, and agreed with you, I might join the cause. But, I don't join causes without knowing what was involved.

Poor old Conroe! First grass carp and now this. The score is definitely homeowners/rec users 2, fisherman 0. That lake used to be famous for big fish. Now look at it. What a shame.

I looked at a thread in the bass fishing section and it looks like they only want minimal cutting to maintain safe boating navigation.

thats what they say, but they have two crews cutting stumps as we speak. One of the guys cutting said he cut 200 stumps yesterday on the southern 2/3 of the lake and he was not sure how many the other crew cut yesterday. The problem is they didnt start yesterday and they plan on cutting till the end of the month. Then they want to start on the remaining 1/3 of the lake. For those that dont know the southern 2/3s of the lake is not stumpy at all (no where close) compared to the remaining 1/3. So if they are eliminating the few stumps on the south end then they will have a field day on the north end where the real stumps are. The governing authorities have been misleading the public with magazine and newspaper articles. Thats why we are late in trying to stop them from cutting the southern 2/3 but the truth is we still have a shot at stopping them from cutting the remaining 1/3. The biggest problem is the governing authorities are not monitoring the cutting being done.

most of the facts are posted on the petition you can read before signing.. there is a little more history posted here http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/6944950/Lake_Conroe_Habitat_Destructio

Anyone ever met this Scooter909? He and another new poster are trying to hype up some controversy over this Conroe tree cutting biz. From what I've read of the meeting minutes with the government agencies involved they are actually cutting just the tops off and securing them to the base of the stumps. So instead of a stick of wood through the water column you now have a complex web of branches clustered together albeit lower in the water where they won't rip out your transom. What bass, flathead, crappie or baitfish wouldn't rather have such a complex hiding spot?

I don't see the crappie guys dropping sticks into the water to create habitat...they drop "structure." I'm all for it.

Ah, now things are starting to make more sense. I was really getting curious as to why they would just remove all the structure from the lake for no particular reason. It serves no purpose and certainly doesn't justify the cost. I did read where they were taking the tops out of the trees but didn't kow they were securing them at the base. This makes perfect sense to me. I'm all for that. Looks like they're just trying to make the lake safer with as little impact as they can.

that almost sounds like a personal attack..

believe me im not hyping it up. I am concerned and aware of what is going on and i am trying to gather support before this ecosystem is destroyed. Although im not sure what your intentions are.

Im not here to debate with anyone i am only asking for support. You dont have to support our cause and you dont have to undermind it either. There are plenty of people here that know the history of lake conroe and how the governing authorities handle these type situations and can back me up when i say they are not to be trusted in handling these situations the right way.
Thanks for bumping my topic for me.

I'm a fan of the vote. It if a majority of the locals want a thing to happen then who am I, not a resident of the area, to tell them otherwise.

If a group of North Houston folks started petitioning for a cause in McKinney by gathering online support from who knows where, I'd tell them to mind their own business.

Look up "The Angler Advocate". Tim Cook has been in contact with the parties involved and has written an article on this.

I think slab_rookie is right. If the people around and who fish Conroe support this, it's their decision. They should have the say on this.

Personally, if this was going on in some of our N. Texas lakes with a lot of standing timber I would support it. It would result in less chances for accidents while inceasing cover for sport fish like Crappie and Bass. Clear and well marked boat lanes through the timber fields would be a good thing.

As fishermen, we must be cognizant of the fact these lakes are built for water supply, flood control, water sports, fishing, and just boating. As difficult as it is, the entities that control these lakes must attempt to meet everyones needs or desires. And, yes, the lakeside property owners views must also be considered as they pay a big chunk in property taxes.

It was stated at the meeting that the crews could only cut 30/40 stumps a day so I doubt they cut 200 in a day. I would think they would be lucky to cut 200 in a week.

Johnny

Slab_Rookie yes I have and he is dead on with his statements. Unless you have seen what has happened on Lake Conroe the past 5 years you would not understand.

I started fishing Conroe at that time, hydrilla was plentiful, several Share-a-Lunkers came from the lake. Enter the grass carp, no more grass of any kind, at times the lake is a mud hole.

Now with the lake approximately 8 foot low, the Palms Marina(private members only) has apparently taken it upon themselves to make sure their customers can boat safely anywhere they like.

Eastexn, for the record I support safe boat lanes, at full pool over 2/3 of the lake is free of any navigation hazards, as well as portions in the upper 1/3 of the lake, now with the low level, a lot of stumps have become exposed, including a great number of crappie attractors out of water. Saw them on Saturday.

I guess at the end of the day those $100,000 boats hanging high and dry tick some folks off.

And BTW I am not a new poster.

They are running hydralic chain saws and cutting the stumps 12' below the water level now. Yes they are cutting 100s of stumps per day and no they are not fasting them to the remaining stumps. Friday and saturday alone soaw more than 100 ac of stumps clearcut. Add the 8' low level to the 12' cutting depth and you will see they are aproaching summer thermocline leves.
As one of the stump cutters said "by by fishy"

As an addendum to this, it turns out according to the SJRA that this was approved by multiple alphabet authorities and funded by "The Palms" marina. I suggested in my response to the SJRA that a wee bit of PR about this might keep them from getting emails blasting them.

Essentially Lake Conroe will continue to evolve into an urban lake with little or no natural cover, as it does the game fish population may survive, but will have to readjust to the changing conditions.

More than likely my money for fishing will be focused elsewhere, unless I get really desperate!

I saw some video of this and it looks like they cut them just over the water and with the last rain we had they are now just under the water barely visable.

People will get hurt before they are totally covered up by water.

SJRA is having a meeting this Thursday January 26th at 7:30 am. Anyone who is interested in the health and future of Lake Conroe should attend. This lake has a solid history of a few controlling over the majority. We have seen this lake decline twice due to overpopulating with grass carp. Now we see standing timber structure cleared. What will be next? I for one am going to miss that big tree with the rebar sticking out of it southwest of Point Malibu. That was a landmark...thought it would always be there.

REGULAR MEETING
SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY
G & A Building
7:30 A.M.
1577 Dam Site Road
Conroe, Texas 77304
Thursday, January 26, 2012

The lake is 8' low. They cut 8'-12' of trees sticking above the current low level. When the lake returns to pool, that means 16'-20' of habitat/cover/structure/tree branches (call it what you want, I call it cover) is not there for the fish anymore. There is not a single living plant in the entire lake now either because of the overstocking "over kill" of white amure to control hydrilla. This is the second time that this "over kill" method had been done by TPWD on Lake Conroe. Many of us thought they had learned their lesson the first time. Look it up and see the facts for yourselves. Lake Conroe is now a mudhole. The only vegetation in the lake are leaves that have fallen off of trees during the winter and are now decomposing. Decomposing means more CO2 in the water and less oxygen.

Safer, I just got off the lake today and saw 50 trees cut off by a chainsaw, at a sharp angle, at water level. It is in one of my and many others favorite bass and crappie creeks on the south end of Conroe. Besides the threat of tearing off a lower unit at high speed, they are hull daggers when it is choppy.

I feel u on this one Stumps we use as landmarks driving or fishing
can become like old friends hate to see u lose one of your's

The worse issue is that homeowners are dragging out everything that is currently on the bank now. Lots of good structure has been removed.

I pooed in Conroe

The people that live around Conroe have TP&W in there pockets and will win every vote no matter what. If they had a guy there with a brain that could control the grass with water level it would be fine don't have this problem at Rayburn,T-Bend,Choke Canyon and a few others. The home owners claimed it there lake and they prove it with $$$$$$ good luck.

I signed the petition, I am afraid Conroe is already a lake to make a wake. Too bad, really.