Texas Parks and Wildlife Department partnered with Austin Fly Fishers and the City of Cedar Park Parks and Recreation Department to conduct native aquatic vegetation plantings at Brushy Creek Reservoir on June 21.
AFF, a charter club of the International Federation of Fly Fishers and pending Friends of Reservoirs chapter, gathered 22 volunteers to join TPWD Inland Fisheries management staff to plant 144 colonizing plants to help establish fish habitat, as recommended in the lake’s management plan. Four species of plants were used in this effort: American water-willow, arrowhead, square-stem spikerush and flat-stem spikerush.
TPWD district fisheries supervisor Marcos De Jesús said “These individual plants will serve as colonizers. Under proper conditions, they may expand into lush stands that will provide excellent fish habitat, help stabilize sediment and improve water quality.”
Brushy Creek Reservoir, in Cedar Park, is one of five small urban impoundments in the greater Austin area that is intensively managed to provide diverse, high-quality fishing opportunities close to where people live.
“We need to make fishing relevant in cities for future generations, and TPWD is committed to this challenge,” said De Jesús. “The Neighborhood Fishin’ Program has already had a positive impact in urban areas, but lakes like Brushy Creek will provide a new level of fishing experiences for anglers seeking more fishing opportunities close to home.”
TPWD is seeking local partners to help intensively manage lakes such as Brushy Creek and make them sustainable fisheries.
