Mariposa Lake drained, fish fry feast ensues

As the Jasper County Conservation works to improve the water quality and recreational potential at Mariposa Park, the lake was drained last month prompting the opportunity to host a fish fry to explain the project to locals.

Hundreds of displaced fish were put to good use Sunday afternoon. The fish fry drew more than 50 people to the park to enjoy a variety of fresh fish, cheesy potatoes and baked beans.

“As we were draining the lake, we were discussing there would be a lot of fish in the lake, and we wanted to do something responsible and use it as a teachable moment,” Jasper County Conservation Director Kerri Van Zante said. “As the lake was draining we were on the back side of the creek and we harvested the fish from back there, and then we had a bunch of volunteers clean them for us.”

Van Zante, along with project engineers from Shive Hattery, explained the point of the lake’s restoration.

“Really the goal of the project is to improve the water quality and improve the recreational potential and bring more oxygen for the fish and aquatic species,” Van Zante said. “Mariposa has been a no boating lake and that will change with a new boat ramp and a fishing jetty.”

Naturalists have tested the water quality and the insects over time, and the quality hasn’t been good, according to Van Zante.

“The fishing quality has also not been good at Mariposa until recently,” Van Zante said. “We are working to change that.”

According to Van Zante it has been a long process. About six years ago, the county conservation office got a call from the DNR that Mariposa was near the top of the priority list for restoration.

“I have been writing letters to the DNR to try to get it to the top of their restoration list for probably 20 years,” Van Zante said.

To pay for the project, the DNR requested Jasper County contribute 18 percent or $415,444. Through grant writing, Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante has reduced that amount to $120,000. The final project cost will be determined following a bid letting scheduled for this fall.

The project will also include moving about 155,000 cubic yards of sediment from the dry lake to where the bison were moved to in Black Hawk County to build a structure there, according to Van Zante.

Other upcoming projects include reestablishing the shoreline, creating a wetland, stabilization of the dam, refilling the lake and putting in new fish.

According to the project engineer, the contract begins in November and will be a 1-year duration before the lake is refilled. Other projects have an estimated completion date of spring 2019.

“Current amphibian life has crawled over the watering hole and that wildlife will be displaced,” Luke Molnar, project engineer, said. “The current plan is to get native vegetation back.”

There will be several roads closed for construction in the park this winter. Viewing of the park’s progress is not encouraged, but if someone is interested in seeing the park, they are asked to contact the Jasper County Conservation.

Contact Kayla Singletary at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com