Nature Center at Shaker Lakes wades into fish-stocking, angling controversy - cleveland.com

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SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Officials with the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes have recommended a more thorough examination of a proposal to allow fishing in order to have the lake stocked with bass and bluegill.

A statement issued by the Nature Center came as Cleveland Heights city officials postponed an April 15 Community Relations and Recreation Committee meeting until sometime in May.

Cleveland Heights City Council was flooded with more than 100 emails at its April 5 meeting, most calling for fishing to be allowed on their side of Lower Lake, as is currently permitted on the Shaker Heights side.

The Nature Center and its marshland, including the renovated All People’s Trail, lie directly across from the eastern end of Lower Lake and the North Woodland Road bridge.

“While we believe that fishing can be a great gateway in connecting people to the outdoors, the Nature Center feels that there are a handful of questions, concerns and considerations that should be thoughtfully examined prior to moving forward to allow fishing in Lower Shaker Lake,” the statement noted.

With a key pillar of its mission being to provide that connection to nature, NCSL officials said some of those issues include:

-- Addressing the living conditions in the lake. “The recent and need for ongoing dam work has required frequent draining of the lake, and many fish will perish in that process should it continue to be required at future times,” NCSL officials pointed out.

-- “What entity will regulate and enforce, and do they have the capacity? Will the fishing be catch-and-release only? Are they safe to eat?” Nature Center officials asked of the introduction of gamefish into Lower Lake. Cleveland Heights officials have said they would not have the capability to monitor fishing, one of the reasons they want to keep the ban in effect on their side.

-- Questions about the potential environmental impact. “There will likely be an increase in potential litter, including fishing line and lead sinkers. In addition, many use invasive earthworms as bait, which may be dumped when unused,” NCSL officials said.

-- “Will there be negative impact or possible damage to vegetation around the lake as anglers look for access points?” This issue has already been cited by Cleveland Heights Parks and Recreation Director Joe McRae, as well as the Friends of Lower Lake, affiliated with the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership.

-- While the resident carp are not native and are considered an invasive species by gamefish proponents, Shaker Lakes Nature Center officials noted that the fish species mentioned for stocking -- bluegill and bass -- are not historically native to Doan Brook either.

“The Nature Center believes a thoughtful and methodical examination of these concerns will help determine if stocking Lower Lake and opening it to public fishing is the right fit for the community and our shared habitats,” the statement added.

Nature Center officials also encouraged coordination between the two primary municipal managers of the lake -- Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights -- who will “bear the burden of enforcement and regulation should this proceed, and therefore we encourage coordination in this effort.”

Officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources made the fish-stocking offer on the condition that both cities allow fishing on their respective sides of the lake, designated parkland that is actually owned by Cleveland and leased to Shaker and Cleveland Heights.

“We are certainly happy to help build a fishing agreement if in fact a collective agreement is ever decided,” Jamey Emmert, ODNR Wildlife Communications Specialist, said Monday (April 19). “Right now, it is up to the communities involved to determine how they want to move forward. At that point, we will gladly join the conversation.”

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