Need some help here.

[Dave Stewart]

Sadly that happened to a lot of folks. I even found the petition in a bait and tackle shop down here. The folks that run the shop had no idea what the ramifications of this proposal would be. The heading on the petition basically would lead you to believe that this would improve the fishing down here, of course there was nothing other than a statement that it would do so..nothing to back up that statement. I believe you will find the document I mentioned above will give you the real insight into what the ramifications are if this legislation passes.
By the way, Congressman Whitfield is on a Town Hall Meeting tour right now and will be in Murray on Friday. I plan on being there as are some other folks that are opposed to this legislation to voice our opposition. If any of you live down here in western Ky you might consider coming to that meeting or one of the other meetings he has planned around the state.
Dave

[bassbuddy]

I think this is a great discussion, I to would like to know if there are any positives in leaving the water levels up longer, like would this help bring back the grass faster, or any other benefits?

[bassbuddy]

I think this is a good discussion, I would also like to know if there is any benefits to leaving the water levels up longer, like could it help bring back the grass faster?

[bassbuddy]

I think this is a good discussion, i too would like to know if there is any benefits to leaving the lake levels up longer, like would it bring the grass back faster?

[Moose1am]

Peter:
go into the Adm control panel and set things up to allow HTML posting. That's why the brackets are there. This new forum's programming is designed to allow us to post links and the link is automatically bracketed.

That just the way the HTLM language works.

Anything that starts with a www. or a http:// may get the brackets put around the entire link.

www.testing.com

url = universal resource locator ???

check the FAQ section for more information on the use of url and img and brackets.

http://www.fishin.com/forums2/misc.php?do=bbcode

I don't know why those brackets show up. I'll check into it.

Peter

[Dave Stewart]

The only pluses I have read about is that they think it might keep some of the folks that tear up their boats and injure themselves on the shallow areas outside the channels from doing so, they think it would bring in more tourists (pleasure boaters) through out the remainder of the summer, increase the property values of those folks that have lakefront homes that do not have navagable water on them except at summer pool.

Here is my take on that: You can't legislate common sense. Even at summer pool there are still plenty of areas on Barkley that will tear up your boat and/or injure you. If you don't have enough sense to use the navagation lanes or be very cautious when you are outside of them, this legislation is not gonna help you.

More pleasure boaters would add more money into the economy from that group for sure. But, when the fishing deteriorates we will lose the money from the fishing industry. When the duck hunting deteriorates we will lose their monies. The anglers are here basically 9 monts a year...the pleasure boaters they are trying to attract are here 4 or 5 months a year....who adds more to the local economy? One big tournament like the FLW brings in more money in one week than those pleasure boaters will bring in a month or two.

As far as leaving the water up so you can increase some property values. I liken that to rerouting airplanes at an airport because people are stupid enough to build a house by the airport and then start complaining about the noise.

[SlopFishin]

bump

[Bineyj]

I might be able to help. My sister works for Whitfield, and will be at my house Saturday. She actually went to the meeting with the COE. Post your comments and i will show her this thread. I can't promise you anything, but I can try and show her. As I've told her numerous times, don't mess with the hunters and fisherman from your district, they are the ones that keep him elected in my opinion.

John

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks John: I hope you can get your sister to read this. You might also have her read the boards on other websites like bassboatcentral.com (Oh/In/Ky) section. There are a lot of anglers not happy right now and the numbers are growing daily.

[SlopFishin]

One more thing to think about is this: If we're holding water in KY Lake all through July and August (the hottest months of the year), what happens with power generation? Does TVA end up having to buy power from other distributers, thus raising to price on us?

[SlopFishin]

bump

[Dave Stewart]

I went to Murray this morning and attended one of Congressman Whitfield's Town Hall meetings that he is holding around the district.

I voiced my opposition to this legislation to keep the water levels up on Ky/Barkley until after Labor Day. Basically, I told the Congressman that I had read the environmental impact statements that the KDFW and TFWR had furnished the COE and the TVA concerning the operating levels of the lakes. I told him that I saw nothing in these reports that would indicate anything other than the fact that extending the summer pool water levels here would in the long run be detrimental to the sport fish populations, the waterfowl population, the wildlife (thru displacement) and add to the erosion problems the higher water levels cause. I also told the Congressman that I was there to give him an opportunity to change my mind about this by showing me or telling me where I could find other scientific based studies that would dispute what I had read.

The congressman's reply to me was that basically he was introducing this legislation because certain business groups (both large and small) had approached him to gain his support for this action. He never offered me any other information on this plan. He did state that the COE was opposed to the plan and was fighting it thru their sources in the House committees. He also stated that he had received some opposition from some sportsman's organizations but he did not name them. He also stated that some competitive fishing organizations had expressed that they favored this bill.

The Congressman also noted that I was the first and only individual that had attended one of his meetings and publically voiced opposition to the legislation.

In a nut shell, this bill is up there because of some special interest groups. It may or may not pass depending on pressure from the COE on House Committees. The anglers that oppose this bill are not voicing their concerns in any numbers.

I can understand the Congressman's position...if you want to be heard you need to take some action...go attend one of these meetings and be heard...contact his office and voice your opposition.
EOM