Bark River Project Update

Project: Rome Pond Wildlife Area
County: Waukesha

By Mike Alaimo, Lead AWA Volunteer

We were informed this winter that a prescribed burn could happen at the Bark River unit, which we maintain as a part of our Adopt a Wildlife Area contract with WDNR.  Water levels are down an easy foot.  A new water control structure and carp barrier were added this fall, but the drought has left water levels low.

Based on the burn, we had to relocate many boxes from small unproductive potholes to the larger main body.  With increasing willow growth, we have been finding the more secluded boxes being taken over by other species.  Hopefully, we can begin to reverse this trend.

Finding wet mud was difficult and the auger had only six inches of clear ice at times.  Some places had less than an inch near shore.